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Summary of integrative medicine for severe acute pancreatitis: 26-year clinical experiences and a report of 1 561 cases

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Abstract

Objective

To investigate the changing trends of clinical management for severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) with integrative medicine.

Methods

Clinical data of 1 561 patients with SAP from 1980 to 2005 was retrospectively analyzed. The mortality and morbidity of complications were compared.

Results

Of the 1 561 patients, 400 patients accepted surgical operation, while the rest were treated conservatively with integrative medicine. There was a change toward conservative management together with Chinese purgative herbal medication use after 1990 (22.4% from 1980–1990 compared with 45.5% from 1991–1993) because of high postoperative mortality. From 1994–2005, the treatment integrating Western medicine with Chinese herbal medications came to be preferred over the classic Western operation-based method. This change was associated with decreased morbidity (35.4% in 1980–1990 compared with 24.7% in 1991–1993 and 11.0% in 1994–2005, P<0.05) and lower mortality (40.52% of 1980–1990 compared with 17.17% of 1991–1993 and <10.25% of 1994–2005, P<0.05).

Conclusion

The combination of conservative management with Chinese herbal medicines is preferable to classic Western medicine treatment to reduce morbidity and mortality of SAP, while surgery becomes a supplemental option.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China

    Han-lin Gong  (龚翰林), Wen-fu Tang  (唐文富), Yan-yi Ren  (任艳怡), Mei-hua Wan  (万美华), Guang-yuan Chen  (陈光远), Qing Xia  (夏 庆) & Xi Huang  (黄 熙)

Authors
  1. Han-lin Gong  (龚翰林)
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  2. Wen-fu Tang  (唐文富)
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  3. Yan-yi Ren  (任艳怡)
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  4. Mei-hua Wan  (万美华)
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  5. Guang-yuan Chen  (陈光远)
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  6. Qing Xia  (夏 庆)
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  7. Xi Huang  (黄 熙)
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wen-fu Tang  (唐文富).

Additional information

Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30400576)

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Gong, Hl., Tang, Wf., Ren, Yy. et al. Summary of integrative medicine for severe acute pancreatitis: 26-year clinical experiences and a report of 1 561 cases. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 17, 381–385 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-011-0607-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-011-0607-4

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