Ancient Terms Of Chronic Renal Failure:the Key To Ancient Literature Mining

ObjectiveIn this study, we aimed to explore the ancient terms of chronic renal failure (CRF) and provide a reference for further studies on ancient literature mining of tranditional Chinese medicine.MethodsWe collected the ancient terms of CRF from modern literature retrieval, prominent TCM doctors’experience and monographs and textbooks and then designed a questionnaire based on the candidate ancient terms to conduct an expert consultation among experts of academic and medicine community in nephropathy department in tertiary general hospitals of Chinese medicine around China. We got the recommended ancient terms of CRF based on the frequencies and consistency results. After searching the related modern diseases of the recommended ancient terms, we finally determined the ancient terms of CRF.ResultsWe derived thirty-three ancient terms related to CRF in total. After standardization, only twenty-five ancient terms were selected in the consultation questionnaire. Thirty-eight experts were invited in our study and thirty-five experts (response rate of92.1%) completed the questionnaires. They come from19out of34provinces in China. After calculation, the top seven ancient terms with high consistency included "Ni Du","Xu Lao","Shui Zhong","Guan Ge","Shen Lao","Long Bi" and "Yao Tong". The results were consistent with the frenquencies in modern literature retrieval, prominent TCM doctors’experience, and monographs and textbooks, except for "Shen Feng" which is with high frequency but low consistency results. Therefore, we took "Shen Feng" into consideration as a recommended ancient terms of CRF as well. After searching the related modern diseases of the recommended ancient terms,"Ni Du","Xu Lao","Shui Zhong","Yao Tong" and "Shen Feng" were eliminated."Guan Ge","Shen Lao" and "Long Bi" were chosen as the final ancient terms of CRF.Conclusion"Guan Ge","Shen Lao" and "Long Bi" were recommended as the ancient terms of CRF in the further study of ancient literature mining. But keep in mind that "Guan Ge","Shen Lao" and "Long Bi" have a relation with gastrointestinal obstruction, urinary tuberculosis and dysuria or urinary retention separately, except for CRF.