OBJECTIVETo study the effect of tongfei mixture (TFM, a Chinese recipe mainly consisted of angelica and rehmannia root) on nocturnal hypoxia in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

METHODSSixty patients with COPD of remission phase were randomly divided into 3 groups, 20 in each group. Group A was the control group; Group B, the group simply treated with oxygen; Group C, treated with oxygen and TFM. Changes of pulmonary function, diaphragm muscle mobility (DMM), 6 min walk distance (6MWD), morning arterial blood gas, nocturnal lowest oxygen saturation (LSaO2), mean blood oxygen saturation (MSaO2), the percentage of saturation lower than 90% time account for total sleeping time (SLT90%) and ultrasonocardiogram before and after treatment were observed.

RESULTSLevels of LSaO2, MSaO2 and SLT90% in Groups B and C were significantly higher than those in Group A (P<0.05, P<0.01). The lowering of PaCO2 in Group C was more significant than that in Group B (P<0.05). The mPAP level in Group C was lower, FEV1, 6MWD and DMM were improved than those in Group A and B, showing significant difference (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONCombined use of oxygen therapy and TFM could not only improve the nocturnal hypoxia, but also lower PaCO2. TFM is an important supplement of oxygen therapy.

Aged ; Blood Gas Analysis ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Hypoxia ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Lung Diseases, Obstructive ; complications ; drug therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Oxygen Inhalation Therapy ; Phytotherapy ; Sleep ; physiology