OBJECTIVE:: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Shengmai Yin (生脉饮, SMY) on visual analogue scale (VAS) for cardiopulmonary symptoms in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) convalescent patients.
METHODS:: In this randomized, double blind and multicenter controlled trial, a total of 200 COVID-19 convalescent patients who with cardiopulmonary symptoms were enrolled from three medical centers in Hubei, China. These patients were randomized divided into trial group and the control group, 100 patients in each one, SMY and its placebo were applied to respectively, for two weeks. VAS of clinical symptoms included shortness of breath, hidrosis, chest distress, palpitation, and dry cough was performed at 0, 1, 2 weeks. Decrease in VAS of 30% or more was defined as effective, and a reduction in VAS of 0 was defined as curative.
RESULTS:: A total of 192 completed the study. The VAS of TCM symptoms showed there was no difference in baseline between the two groups. The VAS in both groups was down-regulated, and there was no significant difference in VAS and cure rates at the first and second week between the two groups. There was no significant difference in breath, hidrosis, palpitation, and dry cough between the two groups but SMY treatment for two weeks has remarkable therapeutic effects in chest distress than placebo.
CONCLUSIONS:: SMY could effectively ameliorate the symptoms of chest distress, and improve the quality of life of the COVID-19 convalescent patients.
Keywords: COVID-19; Shengmai Yin; cardiopulmonary symptoms; convalescence; visual analog scale.