ObjectiveTo decipher the mechanism by which Zuoguiwan （ZGW） treat hyperthyroidism in rats with kidney-Yin deficiency based on the dopamine receptor D4 （DRD4）/nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate （NADPH） oxidase 4 （NOX4） signaling pathway. MethodsThe rat model of kidney-Yin deficiency was induced by unilateral intramuscular injection of dexamethasone （0.35 mg·kg^-1）. After successful modeling， the rats were randomized into model， methimazole （positive control， 5 mg·kg^-1）， low-， medium-， and high-dose （1.85， 3.70， 7.40 g·kg^-1， respectively） ZGW， and normal control groups. After 21 days of continuous gavage， the behavioral indexes and body weight changes of rats were evaluated. The pathological changes of the renal tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The serum levels of thyroid hormones ［triiodothyronine （T₃）， thyroxine （T₄）， thyroid-stimulating hormone （TSH）］， renal function indexes ［serum creatine （Scr） and blood urea nitrogen （BUN）］， energy metabolism markers ［cyclic adenosine monophosphate （cAMP） and cyclic guanosine monophosphate （cGMP）］， and oxidative stress-related factors ［superoxide dismutase （SOD）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， and NADPH）］ were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Western blot was employed to analyze the expression of DRD4， NOX4， mitochondrial respiratory chain complex proteins ［NADH：ubiquinone oxidoreductase subunit S4 （NDUFS4） and cytochrome C oxidase subunit 4 （COX4）］， and inflammation-related protein ［tumor necrosis factor-alpha （TNF-α）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK）］ pathway in the renal tissue. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed mental malaise， body weight decreases （P<0.01）， inflammatory cell infiltration in the renal tissue， a few residual parotid glands in the thyroid， elevations in serum levels of T₃， T₄， Scr， BUN， cAMP， cAMP/cGMP， MDA， and NADPH （P<0.01）， down-regulation in protein levels of TSH， SOD， and DRD4 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and up-regulation in expression of NOX4， p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK， and inflammatory factors （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， ZGW increased the body weight （P<0.05， P<0.01）， reduced the infiltration of renal interstitial inflammatory cells， restored the thyroid structure and follicle size， lowered the serum levels of T₃， T₄， Scr， BUN， cAMP， cAMP/cGMP， MDA and NADPH （P<0.05， P<0.01）， up-regulated the expression of TSH， SOD and DRD4 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and down-regulated the expression of NOX4， p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK， and inflammatory factors （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Moreover， high-dose ZGW outperformed methimazole （P<0.05）. ConclusionBy activating DRD4， ZGW can inhibit the expression of NOX4 mediated by the p38 MAPK pathway， reduce oxidative stress and inflammatory response， thereby ameliorating the pathological state of hyperthyroidism due to kidney-Yin deficiency. This study provides new molecular mechanism support for the clinical application of ZGW.

OBJECTIVE To construct specialized file management and risk warning system for narcotic drugs， and promote the refined management of narcotic drugs in medical institutions. METHODS Through the rational medication management system， patient-indexed narcotic drug medication record information was integrated， pain assessment and rapid dose titration modules were constructed， and a prescription pre-review risk warning model was established. Statistical analysis was conducted on the number of drugs returned by patients， interventions for adverse events related to narcotic drug abuse， patient and physician satisfaction， and patient medication adherence before the system was constructed （January-July 2023） and after its stable operation （January-July 2024）. RESULTS After the construction of the system， the number of narcotic drugs returned by patients decreased， except for Morphine tablets. The number of interventions for adverse events related to narcotic drug abuse increased from 0 to 5 cases. The patients’ satisfaction with pain control increased from 46.25% to 67.50%， the proportion of patients with poor adherence decreased from 23.75% to 7.50%， and the overall satisfaction of physicians was 72.41%. CONCLUSIONS The construction of a specialized file management and risk warning system for narcotic drugs enables refined management of narcotic drugs， provides alerts for abnormal prescriptions， reduces patient stockpiling of narcotic drugs， allows timely detection and intervention of adverse events related to narcotic drug abuse， improves physician treatment efficiency and precision， and enhances patient pain control satisfaction and medication adherence.

ObjectiveTo investigate the differences in clinical features and outcomes between patients with hepatic Wilson's disease （WD） presenting with the syndrome of combined phlegm and stasis and the syndrome of dampness-heat internal accumulation. MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted by consecutively recruiting patients with hepatic WD from the Encephalopathy Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine between January 2022 and August 2025. According to traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome differentiation， the patients were assigned into a combined phlegm and stasis group and a dampness-heat internal accumulation group. All the patients received standard treatment. Baseline data， laboratory indicators， complications， Model for End-Stage Liver Disease （MELD） score， Child-Turcotte-Pugh （CTP） score， and Chronic Liver Failure-Sequential Organ Failure Assessment （CLIF-SOFA） score were recorded. The clinical features and outcomes of the two groups of patients were compared by t-test， U-test and multivariate logistic regression. ResultsA total of 141 patients with hepatic WD were included. The combined phlegm and stasis group comprised 68 patients with an average age of （28.22±10.47） years， including 43 males and 25 females. The dampness-heat internal accumulation group comprised 73 patients with an average age of （30.22±8.79） years， including 44 males and 29 females. Univariate analysis showed no statistically significant differences in age or gender between the two groups. The combined phlegm and stasis group had lower platelet （PLT）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， creatine （CRE）， total cholesterol （TC）， and triglycerides （TG） levels （P<0.05 or P<0.01） and higher total bilirubin （TBIL） and prothrombin time （PT） （P<0.05） than the dampness-heat internal accumulation group. There were no statistically significant differences in the incidence of hepatic encephalopathy， infection， spontaneous bacterial peritonitis， ascites， or gastrointestinal bleeding between the two groups. The incidence of splenomegaly and the MELD score were higher in the combined phlegm and stasis group （P<0.05）. The CTP and CLIF-SOFA scores were also higher in the combined phlegm and stasis group， while these differences were not statistically significant. Eleven patients in the combined phlegm and stasis group and 9 patients in the dampness-heat internal accumulation group developed liver failure. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that PT （OR=1.794， 95%CI 1.249-2.576）， TBIL （OR=1.111， 95%CI 1.026-1.203）， ALT （OR=1.053， 95%CI 1.004-1.105）， and TCM syndrome （OR=5.420， 95%CI 1.384-21.227） were independent risk factors for the development of liver failure in hepatic WD. ConclusionCompared with the hepatic WD patients with the syndrome of dampness-heat internal accumulation， those with the syndrome of combined phlegm and stasis exhibit severe liver function impairment and disease conditions. Furthermore， TCM syndrome serves as an independent predictive factor for the occurrence of liver failure in patients with hepatic WD.

This paper summarizes the experience of professor LIU Shangyi in differentiating and treating rectal carcinoma from the perspective of "treating ulcers as tumors". It is believed that the manifestations of rectal cancer， such as anal itching， cauliflower-like or ulcerative tumors， and bloody stools， are similar to external skin itching， skin ulceration， swelling， and skin bleeding. Therefore， the treatment principles of sores and ulcers department can be applied to treat tumors. Following the diagnostic and treatment approach of dermatology regarding the clinical typical symptoms， for anal itching， the main treatment is to dispel wind and remove dampness， clear heat to relieve itching， using "skin medicinals" such as Difuzi （Fructus Kochiae） and Baixianpi （Cortex Dictamni）， as well as wind medicinals such as Shengma （Rhizoma Cimicifugae） and Fangfeng （Radix Saposhnikoviae）. For constipation， the method of clearing heat and resolving toxins， unblocking the bowels and discharging heat can be used， commonly using Baitouweng （Radix Pulsatillae）， Donglingcao （Herba Rabdosiae Rubescentis） and Dahuang （Radix et Rhizoma Rhei）. In terms of mucosal ulcers， it is critical to differentiate between yin and yang； the treatment of yang ulcers should focus on clearing heat and resolving toxins， commonly using modified Xianfang Huoming Beverage （仙方活命饮）； for yin ulcers， emphasis should be placed on removing dampness and resolving phlegm， commonly with modified Yiyi Fuzi Baijiang Powder （薏苡附子败酱散）. For bloody stool， differentiation is made between deficiency and excess， with the use of Diyu （Radix Sanguisorbae） and Huaihua （Flos Sophorae） for excess syndrome to cool and stop blee-ding， and both herbs dry-fried until charred combined with liver-tonifying medicinals for deficiency syndrome

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of mitochondrial calcium uniporter （MCU） on the cytoskeleton of pancreatic ductal epithelial cells in a mouse model of acute pancreatitis （AP） induced by caerulein （CAE）， to analyze the role of MCU in the development of AP， and to provide a theoretical basis for clinical treatment. MethodsIn the in vivo experiment， wild-type male C57BL6/J mice， aged 4 weeks， were randomly divided into control group and AP group， with 6 mice in each group. The mice in the AP group were given intraperitoneal injection of CAE to establish a model of AP， and those in the control group were given intraperitoneal injection of an equal volume of normal saline. Serum and pancreatic tissue samples were collected after 24 hours of modeling. HE staining was used to observe pancreatic histopathological changes； Western Blot was used to measure the expression levels of MCU， glutathione peroxidase 4 （GPX4）， and acyl-CoA synthetase long chain family member 4 （ASCL4）； kits were used to measure the serum level of amylase. In the in vitro experiment， the human pancreatic ductal epithelial cell line HPDE6-C7 was co-cultured with CAE for 24 hours to establish an in vitro AP model， and the cells were divided into control group， CAE group， RR （an MCU activity inhibitor） group， CAE+RR group， Fer-1 （an ferroptosis inhibitor） group， CAE+Fer-1 group， Erastin （an ferroptosis inducer） group， and CAE+Erastin group. CCK-8 assay was used to observe the influence of different agents on cell viability； Western Blot was used to measure the expression levels of MCU， GPX4， and ASCL4； immunofluorescence assay was used to measure reactive oxygen species （ROS）， actin cytoskeleton， and monolayer permeability； kits were used to measure the concentrations of malondialdehyde （MDA）， glutathione （GSH）， Fe²⁺， and total iron. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups， and the least significant difference t-test was used for comparison between two groups. ResultsIn the in vivo experiment， compared with the control group， the AP group had significant increases in pancreatic histopathological score， the serum level of amylase， and the expression levels of MCU and ASCL4， as well as a significant reduction in the expression of GPX4 （all P<0.05）. In the in vitro experiment， compared with the control group， the CAE group had significant increases in the expression levels of MCU and ASCL4， a significant reduction in the expression of GPX4， and significant increases in the concentrations of Fe²⁺， total iron， and MDA， the green fluorescence intensity of ROS， and monolayer permeability， as well as a significant reduction in the concentration of GSH （all P<0.05）， with the presence of actin cytoskeleton disruption. Compared with the CAE group， the CAE+RR group had a significant increase in the expression level of GPX4， a significant reduction in the expression level of ASCL4， and significant reductions in the concentrations of Fe²⁺， total iron， and MDA， the green fluorescence intensity of ROS， and monolayer permeability and a significant increase in the concentration of GSH （all P<0.05）， with alleviation of actin cytoskeleton disruption. Compared with the CAE group， the CAE+Fer-1 group had significant reductions in the concentrations of Fe²⁺， total iron， and MDA， the green fluorescence intensity of ROS， and monolayer permeability and a significant increase in the concentration of GSH （all P<0.05）， with alleviation of actin cytoskeleton disruption. Compared with the CAE group， the CAE+Erastin group had significant increases in the concentrations of Fe²⁺， total iron， and MDA， the green fluorescence intensity of ROS， and monolayer permeability and a significant reduction in the concentration of GSH （all P<0.05）， with aggravation of actin cytoskeleton disruption. ConclusionDuring the onset of AP， MCU mediates oxidative stress-induced ferroptosis and leads to the disruption of the pancreatic ductal epithelial barrier， which may be one of the possible pathogeneses of AP.

Objective: To systematically evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and maintenance effects of digital psychological therapies on depressive symptoms among adolescents, so as to provide a reference for clinical practice. Methods: Randomized controlled trial(RCT) investigating digital psychological therapies to improve depressive symptoms among adolescents were searched across databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang database, VIP database, and SinoMed, from database inception to November 20, 2025. Following literature screening, quality assessment, and data extraction, a Meta analysis was performed using Stata 18.0 software. Results: A total of 20 studies involving 2 042 adolescents aged 11-19 were included. The Meta analysis revealed that digital psychological therapies significantly alleviated depressive symptoms in adolescents ( SMD =-0.59, 95% CI =-0.85 to -0.32, P <0.01). The therapeutic effect was sustained at long term follow up ( SMD =-0.21, 95% CI =-0.34 to -0.09, P <0.01). Furthermore, depression scores in the intervention group showed a continued decrease from post intervention to long term follow up ( SMD =-0.28, 95% CI =-0.41 to -0.14, P <0.01). Egger s linear regression test indicated possible publication bias (Kendall s tall=0.28, P <0.01). Conclusions Digital psychological therapies can effectively improve depressive symptoms among adolescents, with stable long term efficacy. However, current evidence remains limited and exhibits substantial heterogeneity. Therefore, further large sample, high quality RCTs are warranted to validate the effectiveness of this intervention.

ObjectivePhotoacoustic tomography (PAT) holds significant potential for high-resolution deep-tissue imaging. In preclinical research, custom-designed concave arc-shaped ultrasound transducer arrays are often used to maximize the detection aperture. However, manufacturing limitations and assembly tolerances frequently cause the actual physical positions of array elements to deviate from their theoretical design. Additionally, concave arrays are typically covered with an acoustic lens, which introduces a mismatch in the speed of sound between the coupling medium and the lens material. The combination of these geometric and acoustic-phase errors leads to severe image artifacts, reduced contrast, and degraded resolution. This study proposes a systematic two-step calibration strategy to address these issues and substantially improve image quality. MethodsFirst, a high-intensity isotropic photoacoustic point source was constructed using a multi-mode optical fiber coated with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to acquire high signal-to-noise ratio calibration data. The Akaike information criterion (AIC) was employed to accurately determine the time of arrival (ToA) of photoacoustic signals. Subsequently, a geometric calibration algorithm based on nonlinear least-squares (NLS) estimation was developed. This algorithm iteratively solves for the true spatial coordinates of each array element by minimizing the residual between theoretical and measured acoustic path lengths. To further address sound-speed inhomogeneity caused by the acoustic lens, a phase compensation algorithm based on bilinear interpolation was proposed. This algorithm computes a pixel-specific phase delay map across the imaging region and performs point-by-point signal correction during delay-and-sum (DAS) reconstruction. The proposed methods were validated using a custom 96-channel concave arc-shaped array (center frequency: 12  MHz) through both phantom imaging and in vivo mouse tumor models. ResultsPhantom experiments showed that at an imaging depth of14 mm, the reconstruction position deviation of the point source in the uncalibrated system reached up to 1  mm. After applying the combined calibration, the lateral resolution (full width at half maximum, FWHM) at the focal point of the arc array reached 95  μm—representing a 85% reduction compared to the uncalibrated state and a 79% reduction compared to geometric calibration alone without phase compensation. In vivo experiments demonstrated that the calibrated system clearly resolved the microvascular network of subcutaneous tumors in mice. Photoacoustic signals were strictly confined within tumor boundaries delineated by ultrasound imaging (USI), eliminating the vascular spillover artifacts commonly observed in uncalibrated images. Furthermore, after intravenous injection of indocyanine green (ICG), the system successfully detected weak photoacoustic signals at a depth of 5 mm, performing significantly better than the uncalibrated system. ConclusionThe proposed calibration method, which integrates nonlinear least-squares estimation with phase compensation, significantly improves image fidelity and spatial resolution consistency across a wide field of view by correcting systemic geometric errors and acoustic phase aberrations. This approach demonstrates high robustness and provides a reliable technical foundation for the clinical translation of photoacoustic probes with non-standard geometries.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy and economic value of the Jiangsu Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Dominant Diseases （abbreviated as the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol） in adult patients with non-severe community-acquired pneumonia （CAP） based on real-world clinical data. MethodsA retrospective real-world cohort study was conducted using electronic medical records of adult patients hospitalized for non-severe CAP from September 1st， 2023 to December 31st， 2024 across 10 TCM hospitals in Jiangsu province. Patients were classified into an exposure group and a non-exposure group based on whether they received Chinese herbal medicine （CHM） according to the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol. The non-exposure group received only conventional western medicine， while the exposure group additionally received differentiated CHM for at least five consecutive days. Outcomes were compared between two patient groups， including cough resolution rate， sputum resolution rate （assessed by volume， color， and consistency）， incidence of abnormal C-reactive protein （CRP）， incidence of abnormal white blood cell （WBC） count， and radiographic resolution rate of pulmonary infiltrates on chest imaging. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify factors influencing clinical efficacy. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to age， gender， smoking status， history of hypertension， and pneumonia severity score （CURB-65）， and the efficacy of treatment for cough and sputum was analyzed within each subgroup. Cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted using cough resolution rate as the outcome measure， evaluating the pharmacoeconomics of the two groups. ResultsA total of 1688 patients were included with 1293 in the exposure group and 395 in the non-exposure group. Compared to the non-exposure group， the exposure group demonstrated significantly higher resolution rates of cough， sputum volume， color， and consistency， as well as a significantly lower incidence of abnormal CRP （P＜0.05）. No statistically significant difference was observed between the groups in terms of abnormal WBC count and radiographic resolution rate of pulmonary infiltrates （P＞0.05）. Logistic regression analysis showed that the cough resolution rate in the exposure group was 1.83 times that of the non-exposure group， while the probabilities of resolution in sputum volume， color， and consistency were 1.37， 2.09， and 1.56 times those of the non-exposure group， respectively （P＜0.05）. Subgroup analyses showed that the exposure group achieved significantly higher cough resolution rates across most subgroups except for populations with a CURB-65 score ≥2 or those with a history of hypertension （P＜0.05）. Specifically， among females， patients aged ≥18 and ＜65 years， non-smokers， those without hypertension， and those with a CURB-65 score of 0， the exposure group showed a higher cough resolution rate than the non-exposure group （P＜0.05）. From an economic perspective， total hospitalization cost， length of stay， antibiotic cost， and CHM cost all differed significantly between groups （P＜0.05）. The cost-effectiveness ratio （CER） was 10,788.80 CNY/case in the exposure group， while 22,513.80 CNY/case in the non-exposure group. This implies that， compared with the exposure group， the non-exposure group incurred an additional 17,302.27 CNY to achieve one case of cough resolution. When the willingness-to-pay threshold ranged from 0 to 50,000 CNY， the probability of economic advantage was consistently higher in the exposure group than in the non-exposure group. ConclusionOn the basis of conventional western medicine， the addition of CHM in accordance with the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol can effectively improve clinical symptoms， reduce inflammatory markers， promote clinical recovery， and is more cost-effective in treating adults with non-severe CAP.

ObjectiveTo observe the real‑world effectiveness and economic outcomes of Weishi Qingjin Formula （苇石清金方， WQF） in the treatment of adult community‑acquired pneumonia （CAP） with phlegm‑heat obstructing the lung syndrome. MethodsBased on a multicenter， real-world retrospective cohort study， clinical data were collected from hospitalized adult patients diagnosed with non‑severe CAP and phlegm‑heat obstructing the lung syndrome in 10 traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） hospitals in Jiangsu province. Patients were divided into an exposure group （those who received oral WQF） and a non‑exposure group （those who did not）. The following outcomes were compared between the two groups before and after treatment， which were remission rates of clinical symptoms including cough， expectoration （sputum volume， color， consistency）， and chest pain， levels of inflammatory markers including C‑reactive protein （CRP） and white blood cell count （WBC）， and the rate of pulmonary inflammatory absorption on chest CT. Subgroup analyses were performed based on age， gender， smoking status， presence of hypertension， and the severity of community-acquired pneumonia （CURB‑65） score， comparing the two groups in terms of cough remission rate， chest pain remission rate， and chest CT absorption rate. For health economic evaluation， cost‑effectiveness analysis was used to calculate the cost‑effectiveness ratio （CER） and incremental cost‑effectiveness ratio （ICER）. Univariate sensitivity analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were performed to test the robustness of the results. ResultsA total of 647 patients in the exposure group and 1491 patients in the non-exposure group were included in the final statistical analysis. There was no statistically significant difference in length of hospital stay， gender， marital status， smoking history， bronchoscopy history， and comorbidities between the groups （P＞0.05）， but age， CURB-65 score， and antibiotic use. The exposure group had significantly higher remission rates of cough and sputum consistency than the non-exposure group （P＜0.05）. After adjusting for confounders using propensity score matching and logistic regression， the cough remission rate in the exposure group was 1.49 times that of the non-exposure group （P＜0.01）. No significant difference was observed between groups in the reduction rates of CRP and WBC， and in the rate of pulmonary inflammatory absorption on chest CT （P＞0.05）. Subgroup analyses revealed that the cough remission rate in the exposure group was significantly better than that in the non-exposure group except for patients aged ≥65 years， smokers， hypertensive patients， those using other type antibiotics or not using antibiotics， and those with a CURB-65 score ≥1 （P＜0.05）. Among smokers， the chest pain remission rate in the exposure group was 4.38 times that of the non-exposure group （P＜0.01）. No significant difference in chest CT absorption rate was found between groups across subgroups of gender， age， hypertension status， or antibiotic type （P＞0.05）. In terms of economic evaluation， CER was 10,877.60 CNY/case in the exposure group and 16,773.10 CNY/case in the non-exposure group. Compared to the exposure group， the non-exposure group incurred an additional 15,034.26 CNY to achieve one case of cough resolution， indicating a more favorable cost-effectiveness profile. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis yielded results consistent with the cost-effectiveness analysis， confirming the robustness of the findings. ConclusionWQF demonstrates significant efficacy in improving cough symptoms in the treatment of adult CAP with phlegm-heat obstructing the lung syndrome， and also exhibits favorable economic benefits.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy and economic value of the Jiangsu Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Dominant Diseases （abbreviated as the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol） in adult patients with non-severe community-acquired pneumonia （CAP） based on real-world clinical data. MethodsA retrospective real-world cohort study was conducted using electronic medical records of adult patients hospitalized for non-severe CAP from September 1st， 2023 to December 31st， 2024 across 10 TCM hospitals in Jiangsu province. Patients were classified into an exposure group and a non-exposure group based on whether they received Chinese herbal medicine （CHM） according to the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol. The non-exposure group received only conventional western medicine， while the exposure group additionally received differentiated CHM for at least five consecutive days. Outcomes were compared between two patient groups， including cough resolution rate， sputum resolution rate （assessed by volume， color， and consistency）， incidence of abnormal C-reactive protein （CRP）， incidence of abnormal white blood cell （WBC） count， and radiographic resolution rate of pulmonary infiltrates on chest imaging. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify factors influencing clinical efficacy. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to age， gender， smoking status， history of hypertension， and pneumonia severity score （CURB-65）， and the efficacy of treatment for cough and sputum was analyzed within each subgroup. Cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted using cough resolution rate as the outcome measure， evaluating the pharmacoeconomics of the two groups. ResultsA total of 1688 patients were included with 1293 in the exposure group and 395 in the non-exposure group. Compared to the non-exposure group， the exposure group demonstrated significantly higher resolution rates of cough， sputum volume， color， and consistency， as well as a significantly lower incidence of abnormal CRP （P＜0.05）. No statistically significant difference was observed between the groups in terms of abnormal WBC count and radiographic resolution rate of pulmonary infiltrates （P＞0.05）. Logistic regression analysis showed that the cough resolution rate in the exposure group was 1.83 times that of the non-exposure group， while the probabilities of resolution in sputum volume， color， and consistency were 1.37， 2.09， and 1.56 times those of the non-exposure group， respectively （P＜0.05）. Subgroup analyses showed that the exposure group achieved significantly higher cough resolution rates across most subgroups except for populations with a CURB-65 score ≥2 or those with a history of hypertension （P＜0.05）. Specifically， among females， patients aged ≥18 and ＜65 years， non-smokers， those without hypertension， and those with a CURB-65 score of 0， the exposure group showed a higher cough resolution rate than the non-exposure group （P＜0.05）. From an economic perspective， total hospitalization cost， length of stay， antibiotic cost， and CHM cost all differed significantly between groups （P＜0.05）. The cost-effectiveness ratio （CER） was 10,788.80 CNY/case in the exposure group， while 22,513.80 CNY/case in the non-exposure group. This implies that， compared with the exposure group， the non-exposure group incurred an additional 17,302.27 CNY to achieve one case of cough resolution. When the willingness-to-pay threshold ranged from 0 to 50,000 CNY， the probability of economic advantage was consistently higher in the exposure group than in the non-exposure group. ConclusionOn the basis of conventional western medicine， the addition of CHM in accordance with the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol can effectively improve clinical symptoms， reduce inflammatory markers， promote clinical recovery， and is more cost-effective in treating adults with non-severe CAP.