Objective: To systematically evaluate the clinical effects of Maxing Shigan Decoction (MXSGD), a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, combined with Western medicine on pneumonia in children.
Methods: In this study, the relative trials published from 1994 to 2008 were searched in Chongqing Weipu Database, Chinese Journal Full-text Database, Wanfang database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database and other electronic database by using the method of Cochrane systematic review. At the same time the information from related journals, professional data and network were hand-searched. The methodological quality of the included trials was assessed by two evaluators, and homogeneous evaluation by meta-analysis was performed. Statistical analysis of clinical data was performed by using RevMan 4.2.7 software provided by the Cochrane Collaboration.
Results: A total of 146 reports were found, while only eight randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria. The methodology quality of the reports included in the study was evaluated by the Jadad scale, and the specific random method, allocation concealment, blinding and intention-to-treat analysis were not described in all of the eight trial reports. As MXSGD combined with Western medicine group (treatment group) was compared with Western medicine group (control group), the meta-analysis indicated that the odds ratio for the total effective rate was 4.06, and the 95% confidence interval was from 2.63 to 6.27. MXSGD combined with Western medicine was good at increasing the total effective rate as compared with Western medicine, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.000 01).
Conclusion: MXSGD combined with Western medicine can improve clinical symptoms and increase the total effective rate of the patients with pneumonia in children. However, its clinical effects should be further identified by high quality, multicenter and randomized controlled trials with large-scale design.