Xiyanping injection therapy for children with mild hand foot and mouth disease: a randomized controlled trial

To evaluate the clinical effects of Xiyanping injection intervention in pediatric patients with mild hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD).

A total of 329 patients were stratified and block-randomized for symptomatic treatment of HFMD and assigned to one of the following groups: Western Medicine (group A, n = 103), Xiyanping injection (group B, n = 109), or Xiyanping injection and symptomatic treatment using Western Medicine (group C, n = 117). During the trial, fever, rash, ulcers of the mouth were observed among participants in each group before and after treatment, and conversion rates from mild to severe HFMD were measured.

After 3-7 days' treatment, no significant differences in the conversion rates from mild to severe HFMD were observed among the three groups (P > 0.05). There was a significantly low number of patients with the onset time of antifebrile effect, vanished time of hand and foot rashes and cumulative time for the ulcers in the mouth vanished, among the three groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The onset time of antifebrile effect of patients in groups B and C were markedly shorter compared with those in group A (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); there was no statically significant difference observed between groups B and C (P > 0.05). No significant differences were observed in the time for body temperature recovery among the three groups (P > 0.05). There were no significant differences in adverse effects among the three groups (P > 0.05).

Xiyanping injection together with use of Western Medicine is most effective for symptomatic treatment of mild HFMD. No severe adverse reactions were observed.