Objective: To study the therapeutic state of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) inpatients in 26 level three class A Chinese medicine (CM) hospitals in China.
Methods: The case report form (CRF) was designed and used in this study. Totally 1 094 AMI patients were recruited from 26 level three class A CM hospitals from January 2006 to December 2006. The onset, the heart function, complications, previous history, and CM syndrome types were observed in AMI patients. Treatment by Western medicine (WM), CM intravenous preparation, CM decoction, and Chinese patent medicine were also observed in AMI patients.
Results: Blood stasis syndrome (854 cases, 78.06%) and stagnant phlegm syndrome (470 cases, 42.96%) were dominated in the CM sthenia syndrome. Qi deficiency syndrome (683 cases, 62.43%) and Xin-yin deficiency syndrome (231 cases, 21.12%) were dominated in the CM asthenia syndrome. Totally 355 patients (32.45%) received reperfusion. Of them, 224 (20.48%) received percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The top 5 often used Western drugs covered aspirin (1001 cases, 91.50%), low molecular heparin (917 cases, 83.82%), blood lipids regulators (833 cases, 76.14%), ACEI/ARB (822 cases, 75.14%), and nitrates (773 cases, 70.66%). Totally 946 patients (86.47%) used CM intravenous preparations. The CM intravenous preparations with the use frequency more than 5% were sequenced as Shenmai Injection (520 times, 54.97%), Salvia miltiorrhizae preparations (305 times, 32.24%), sanchi preparations (185 times, 19.56%), Shenfu Injection (68 times, 7.19%), Scutellarin Injection (64 times, 6.77%), and Acanthopanax Injection (29 times, 3.07%). Totally 575 patients (52.56%) used CM decoction. The main therapeutic methods covered activating blood circulation therapy (477 cases), qi benefiting therapy (332 cases), and phlegm resolving therapy (303 cases). Commonly used recipes covered Shengmai Powder, Taohong Siwu Decoction, Gualou Xiebai Baijiu Decoction, Erchen Decoction, and Sijunzi Decoction. Totally 394 patients (36.01%) used Chinese patent medicines.
Conclusions: Qi deficiency syndrome and blood stasis syndrome were dominated in AMI patients. Great achievements have taken place in AMI reperfusion treatment and standardized treatment in CM hospitals. CM are extensively used. Clinical studies on treating AMI by CM should be further strengthened.