Objective To explore the clinical characteristics of pattern of phlegm heat and bowel excess in acute stage of stroke involving meridian-collateral or involving zang-fu organs from the aspects of severity of neurological impairment, pattern distribution at different time points and duration of bowel excess.Methods The basic information,scores of National Institute of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS), whether bowel qi being unobstructed or not,duration of bowel excess,and pattern distribution at different time points(onset for 1 d to 3 d,onset for 4 d to 7 d and onset for 8 d to 14 d)were inputted based on structured data by using retrospective analysis of medical records in 204 cases of pattern of phlegm heat and bowel excess of stroke involving meridian-collateral(meridian-collateral group)and 217 cases of pattern of phlegm heat and bowel excess of stroke involving zang-fu organs(zang-fu organ group).The clinical characteristics from the data were compared, analyzed and studied.Results The severity of neurological impairment except of conscious state was significantly higher in zang-fu organ group than that in meridian-collateral group(P<0.01).The average duration of unobstructed bowel qi was significantly longer in zang-fu organ group than that in meridian-collateral group(P<0.01), and the percentage of patients with throughout obstructed bowel qi was significantly higher in zang -fu organ group than that in meridian-collateral group in acute stage of stroke.The pattern of phlegm heat and bowel excess showed a decline trend after stroke onset for 1 d to 14 d in meridian-collateral group, and showed an ascending trend after stroke onset for 1 d to 7 d and a decling trend after stroke onset for 8 d to 14 d in zang-fu organ group.The cases of pattern of qi deficiency with blood stasis or pattern of collaterals blocked by wind -phlegm and static blood were significantly higher in meridian-collateral group at 4-14 d than those at 1-3 d,and cases of pattern of wind stirring due to yin deficiency,pattern of phlegm heat and blood stasis or pattern of wind phlegm and blood stasis were significantly higher in zang-fu organ group at 8 -14 d than those at time point 1.Conclusion The duration of pattern of phlegm heat and bowel excess is posi-tively correlated to the severity of stroke,that is,neurological impairment is more serious and duration is longer in patients with pattern of phlegm heat and bowel excess of stroke involving zang -fu organs.