Systematic review of efficacy and safety of Lianhua Qingwen Capsules in treatment of viral influenza

Abstract

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Lianhua Qingwen Capsules in the treatment of viral influenza in order to guide clinical medication. Randomized controlled trials(RCTs) regarding Lianhua Qingwen Capsules for treatment of viral influenza were searched in the CNKI, WanFang, VIP, SinoMed and PubMed. The quality of papers selected based on the inclusion criteria were assessed according to the Cochrane collaboration method and Meta-analysis was performed by using RevMan 5.3 software. A total of 8 articles were included, with a total sample size of 955 cases, including 478 cases in the treatment group, and 477 cases in the control group. In terms of the therapeutic effect, Lianhua Qingwen Capsules group was superior to the control group, with a total effective rate RR=1.20, 95%CI [1.09,1.32], P=0.70; recovery rate of body temperature RR=1.13, 95%CI [1.02,1.24], P=0.001; rate of symptom improvement RR=1.18, 95%CI [1.12,1.24], P=0.16. In terms of adverse reactions, the control group was superior to Lianhua Qingwen Capsules, with the incidence of adverse reactions RR=1.54, 95%CI [0.73,3.24], P=0.93. Lianhua Qingwen Capsules has a better therapeutic effect on viral influenza, but the incidence of adverse reactions is high, and its safety must be taken seriously. Given the small number of documents included and the low quality, the efficacy and safety of Lianhua Qingwen Capsules shall be confirmed by more high-quality clinical studies.