Da-cheng-qi decoction, a traditional Chinese herbal formula, for intestinal obstruction: systematic review and...

This study was aimed at determining the effects and safety of Da-Cheng-Qi decoction (DCQD) or DCQD combined with conservative therapy in patients with intestinal obstruction.

PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, and several other databases were searched. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of DCQD or DCQD plus conservative therapy in patients with intestinal obstruction were eligible. Therapeutic effect was estimated by the improvement of clinical manifestations and diagnostic imaging; dichotomous/ordinal data assessment of overall response to therapy, adverse effects; or continuous variable were identified, including time to first bowel movement, time to first flatus, length of hospital stay.

Sixty eligible RCTs including 6,095 patients were identified. Response rate: (1) DCQD versus conservative therapy (6 RCTs, 361 patients, RR of respond =1.13; 95% CI 0.97 to 1.31). (2) DCQD plus conservative therapy versus conservative therapy (48 RCTs, 4,916 patients, RR of respond =1.25 which favoured DCQD plus conservative therapy; 95% CI 1.20 to 1.30). Treatment effect remained similar when RCTs at high risk of bias were excluded. Time to first flatus postoperatively: (1) DCQD versus conservative therapy (2 RCTs, 240 patients, SMD=-3.65; 95% CI -8.17 to 0.87). (2) DCQD plus conservative therapy versus conservative therapy (11 RCTs, 1,040 patients, SMD=-2.09 which favoured DCQD plus conservative therapy; 95% CI -3.04 to -1.15).

DCQD combined with conservative therapy may increase the success rate of conservative therapy for intestinal obstruction significantly and can shorten the duration of postoperative ileus in patients undergoing abdominal surgery compared with conservative therapy alone.