Efficacy of Ying-huang and San-ao Decoctions in Sepsis-Associated Acute Lung Injury

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the combined treatment of Ying-Huang Decoction and San-ao Decoction compared to conventional treatment alone in patients with sepsis-associated acute lung injury (S-ALI) and to assess its potential mechanisms for improving clinical symptoms, reducing inflammatory response, and promoting respiratory function recovery.

We included 84 S-ALI patients admitted to our hospital between January 2021 and January 2023. The patients were divided into a control group and an observation group, with 42 patients in each group. The control group received conventional treatment, while the observation group received the combined treatment of Ying-Huang Decoction and San-ao Decoction in addition to conventional treatment. The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration and received ethical approval. The main outcome measures assessed included symptom scores, levels of inflammatory factors, lung injury scores (such as LIS scores), respiratory function parameters (such as PVPI and EVLWL levels), and the incidence of adverse reactions.

The observation group receiving the combined treatment of Ying-Huang Decoction and San-ao Decoction demonstrated favorable outcomes compared to the control group. Significant improvements were observed in the observation group's symptom scores compared to the control group (P < .05). Patients in the observation group experienced a notable alleviation of clinical symptoms associated with S-ALI. In terms of inflammatory response, the observation group showed significantly lower levels of inflammatory factors, including IL-6, CRP, and IL-17, compared to the control group (P < .01). This suggests that the combined decoction treatment effectively reduced the systemic inflammatory response in S-ALI patients. Lung injury scores, as assessed by the LIS, were significantly reduced in the observation group compared to the control group (P < .05). This indicates that the combined treatment contributed to the mitigation of lung tissue damage in S-ALI patients. Respiratory function parameters, such as PVPI and EVLWL levels, showed significant improvement in the observation group compared to the control group (P < .01), indicating enhanced respiratory function.

The combined treatment of Ying-Huang Decoction and San-ao Decoction, in addition to conventional treatment, demonstrated beneficial effects in the management of S-ALI, leading to improved clinical symptoms, reduced inflammatory response, and enhanced respiratory function. These findings suggest the potential integration of traditional Chinese medicine approaches, such as Ying-Huang Decoction and San-ao Decoction, in the treatment of S-ALI, providing additional options for clinicians and potentially improving patient outcomes. It is important to acknowledge the limitations of this study, such as its retrospective design and the need for further research with larger sample sizes to validate the results and minimize potential biases.