An outbreak of severe pneumonia of unknown cause was reported in December 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. The infectious virus was soon identified and named as 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCov). The name of the coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) was given by WHO on 11 February 2020. It has so far caused about 118 000 cases in 114 countries including China and was characterized as a pandemic by WHO on 11 March. We still face great challenges in control of the epidemic: uncertain initial source of infection, infected populations widely scattered, complex routs of transmission, populations generally susceptible, high contagiousness of the virus, and finally vaccines unlikely available in the near future.

The formulation of expert consensus on clinical application of Chinese patent medicines, in means of exploring the effective combination of experience and evidence to form a research method in line with the characteristics of Chinese patent medicines, is an important transitional stage for clinical researches on Chinese patent medicines. Pre-searching is a new step in the formulation of expert consensus on clinical application of Chinese patent medicines. Before steps of interview and investigation on clinical application, pre-searching is conducted to collect publications and literature on certain variety and similar Chinese patent medicines; the publications on related medical classics and formulas of this variety; the recommendation condition of this variety in clinical practice guidelines and expert consensus; and the medication regimens recommended in disease-specific guidelines. Pre-searching is designed to know about the advantages of certain variety of Chinese patent medicine as well as its potential problems recorded in the literature, which is helpful to find out the clinical positioning of Chinese patent medicines, develop reasonable clinical questions and provide ideas for formal literature searching. However, it is not the direct basis for developing clinical questions. Moreover, interviews and investigations are still needed to further clarify the clinical positioning of Chinese patent medicines and develop reasonable questions. This paper took expert consensus on clinical application of Yanshen Jianwei Capsules as an example to introduce the pre-searching process and methods used during formulation of expert consensus on clinical application of Chinese patent medicines, and to further discuss the role of pre-searching to facilitate the formulation of clinical questions on selection of participants, interventions, controls and outcomes.
Capsules ; China ; Consensus ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Nonprescription Drugs

Acute non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (ANVUGIB) is one of the most common medical emergencies worldwide.In 2009,the first edition of "Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding"was published in China.These guidelines were updated in 2015,which aimed to provide the standard diagnosis and management for patients with ANVUGIB.Based on the rapid development of multiple disciplines and latest understanding of ANVUGIB,this new edition of guidelines was therefore released for standardizing the diagnosis and management process of ANVUGIB.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect and safety of Kangfuyan Capsules () for treating pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in patients with chronic pelvic pain (CPP) in a multicenter, randomized, controlled, double-blind, parallel-group clinical trial. METHODS: Totally, 240 PID patients with CPP were randomized into 2 groups using a computer generated random number at a 1:1 ratio from 10 hospitals in China between September 2014 and November 2015. Patients received either oral Kangfuyan Capsules or Gongyanping Capsules (, control); the regimen for both groups comprised 4 capsules (3 times daily) for 12 weeks, with follow-up visit 4 weeks after treatment. The visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, clinical responses, remarkable cure rates for each symptom, and quality of life scores were assessed at baseline, and after 1, 2, and 3 months. Adverse events were also recorded. RESULTS: The VAS scores were significantly lower (P<0.05), whereas the clinical responses, remarkable cure rates for lower abdominal pain, uterine tenderness, adnexal mass, and adnexal tenderness, and Health-related quality of life (EQ-5D) scores were higher in the Kangfuyan group than in the control group at 3 months (P<0.05). Common treatment-related adverse events included high hepatic enzyme levels, reduced hemoglobin levels, and elevated platelet counts, although all the adverse events were either mild or moderate in severity. CONCLUSION Compared with Gongyanping therapy, Kangfuyan therapy yielded markedly better analgesia effects for CPP caused by PID, with obvious long-term efficacy and good safety. (Registration No. ChiCTR190022732).
Capsules ; Chronic Pain/drug therapy* ; Double-Blind Method ; Humans ; Pelvic Pain/drug therapy* ; Quality of Life ; Treatment Outcome

Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Integrative Medicine ; methods ; trends ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; trends ; Professional Practice ; trends ; Therapeutics ; methods ; trends ; Treatment Outcome

Epidemiologic Studies ; Translational Medical Research