Research On Features Of TCM Syndrome Elements And The Correlation Between The Features Of TCM Syndrome Elements And Common Causes Of Chronic Cough

Objective:To study the features of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome elements in patients with chronic cough and clarify the correlation between the features of TCM syndrome elements and common causes of chronic cough. The study would provide the basis for establishing TCM therapeutic principle and methods and formulating the prescriptions in treatment with chronic cough.Methods:A total of305patients with chronic cough who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled in Zhangzhou TCM hospital respiratory out-patient from September2010to March2012. The causes of chronic cough were investigated using anatomic diagnostic protocol plus differential cells count of induced sputum; A TCM syndromes scale for patients with chronic cough in Zhangzhou, Fujian province was modified according to the four diagnostic information collection form made by TCM syndromes research institution of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. TCM four diagnostic information in patients with chronic cough were collected. The syndrome elements of the disease location and the disease nature were extracted using the syndrome elements differentiation and integral methods. The features of TCM syndrome elements and the correlation between the features of TCM syndrome elements and common causes of chronic cough were analyzed with mathematical statistical methods.Results:The common causes of chronic cough in Zhangzhou city were upper airway cough syndrome (UACS), cough variant asthma (CVA), eosinophilic bronchitis (EB), gastroesophageal reflux cough (GERC), allergic cough (AC),85.9%in total. The primary syndrome elements of the disease location in chronic cough were lung, liver, exterior, heart-spirit, and stomach; The main syndrome elements of disease nature were phlegm, heat, qi stagnation, dampness, cold, yin asthenia and qi asthenia. CVA was closely related to lung and exterior, and susceptible to be attacked by cold:UACS was related to exterior, and easily affected by cold and dampness; EB was also related to lung and exterior and easy to hurt heart-spirit. EB was susceptible to be attacked by cold and dampness due to yang-deficiency. GERC was closely related to stomach, and easily to be attacked by dampness. Qi stagnation was the most important factor in syndrome elements of disease nature of GERC.Conclusion:The primary syndrome element of the disease location in chronic cough was lung but not just limited to lung. The phlegm was the main pathology factor. The six climatic factors (especially dampness and heat) were the major pathogenic factors. Asthenia of healthy qi (especially asthenia of qi and yin) were the interior factors. The major pathogenesis of chronic cough which was hard to cure was concurrence of exterior-syndrome, interior-syndrome, deficiency and excess. TCM syndrome elements in patients with chronic cough were diversity in different causes of chronic cough. We should take into account syndrome differentiation and disease differentiation simultaneously, abidance by disease when treat with chronic cough in clinic.