An innovative method to evaluate the severe level of general Qi deficiency

The study aim was to use existing relevant indexes to establish an index series for the quantitative measurement of Qi deficiency pattern (QDP) in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

Seventeen indexes of arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2), TCM pulse diagnosis, heart rate, and blood pressure were integrated into an index series, and 94 selected subjects were divided into a healthy control group, a mild QDP group, and a typical QDP group. All three groups were then synchronously given a breath-holding (BH) test and index detections using TCM apparatus for auxiliary diagnosis and treatment and a photoplethysmograph. The detections were carried out repeatedly until there was no monotonic change in the value of the minimal SaO2 during a BH measurement (SaO2min) or in the duration of BH during a BH measurement (TBH).

BH measurement and index detection data from 380 eligible cases were analyzed and a significant intergroup difference was found for 12 indexes.

An index series for quantitative QDP measurement could comprise the 12 effective indexes: RSaO2d (rate of decline of SaO2 during a BH measurement), RSaO2r (recovery rate of SaO2 after a BH measurement), SaO2min, BFV (blood flow velocity), TSaO2d (the time at which SaO2 started declining during a BH measurement), TBH, TSaO2min (the time of occurrence of the minimal SaO2 during a BH measurement), TSaO2max (the time of occurrence of the maximal SaO2 after a BH measurement), PTP (pulse-touching pressure), SBP (systolic blood pressure), PWV (pulse wave velocity), and DBP (diastolic blood pressure). Of the indexes, RSaO2d could play a key role in quantitative QDP measurement; RSaO2r and SaO2min could be used to differentiate the QDP symptom of shortness of breath and as early-warning indexes for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. BFV, TSaO2d, and TBH could be used to quantitatively assess the QDP symptoms of spontaneous perspiration and shortness of breath.