OBJECTIVETo observe the difference in the therapeutic effects on infantile herpetic angina among the treatments with western medication, acupuncture and the combined therapy of acupuncture and western medication.

METHODSOne hundred and twenty children of herpetic angina were randomized into a western medication group, an acupuncture group and a combined therapy group, 40 cases in each one. Besides the basic treatment with symptomatic support, in the western medication group, ribavirin granules were prescribed for oral administration, 10 mg/kga day, three times a day, for 3 days. In the acupuncture group, acupuncture was applied at Fengchi (GB 20), Hegu (LI 4), Quchi (LI 11), Xiaguan (ST 7), Jiache (ST 6), Dicang (ST 4), Shaoshang (LU 11) and Shangyang (LI 1), once a day, for 3 days. In the combined therapy group, the treatments as the western medication group and the acupuncture group were used, in which, the oral administration with ribavirin granules and acupuncture were adopted for 3 days. The clinical therapeutic effects were compared after treatment and the follow-up visit was conducted since the 4th day at the end of treatment to compare the antifebrile time, herpes relieving time and the use frequency of ibuprofen oral liquid in the children among the three groups.

RESULTSAfter treatment, the total effective rate was 95.0% (39/40) in the combined therapy group, was 62.5% (25/40) in the western medication group and was 80.0% (32/40) in the acupuncture group. The result in the combined therapy group was better than those in the acupuncture group and the western medication group, indicating the significant differences (both<0.05). The antifebrile time and the herpetic relief time in the combined therapy group were earlier than those in the acupuncture group and the western medication group, indicating the significant differences (both<0.05). The use frequency of ibuprofen oral liquid in the combined therapy group was lower than those in the acupuncture group and the western medication group, indicating the significant difference (both<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe combined therapy with acupuncture and western medication relieve fever and herpes much more quickly and reduces the use frequency of ibuprofen oral liquid as compared with the simple use of acupuncture or western medication in the treatment of infantile herpetic angina, which achieve the much better therapeutic effects.