Clinical Study on Modified Wheat-Grain Size Cone Moxibustion for Prevention and Treatment of Recurrent Upper Respiratory Tract Infections in Children During Non- Acute Infection Period
Abstract: Objective: To observe the clinical effect of modified wheat-grain size cone moxibustion on the prevention and treatment of recurrent upper respiratory tract infections in children of lung-spleen qi deficiency type during the non-acute infection period. Methods:A total of 110 cases of children with recurrent upper respiratory tract infections of lung-spleen qi deficiency type during the non-acute infection period,who were treated at the Center for Disease Prevention and Pediatrics Outpatient Department of Jinhua Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2020 to June 2022,were selected as study subjects. They were divided into the observation group (56 cases) and the control group (54 cases) using a random number table method. The observation group received modified wheatgrain size cone moxibustion,and the control group was treated with warm electronic moxibustion. Both treatments lasted for four weeks,with a follow-up period of one year. The number of episodes,average duration of illness,traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores, immunoglobulin (IgG, IgM, IgA) levels, and clinical efficacy were compared between the two groups. Results: One year after treatment, the average number of upper respiratory tract infection episodes and the average duration of illness in the two groups were reduced when compared with those before treatment (P<0.05), with the observation group showing fewer episodes and shorter duration than the control group (P<0.05). After treatment,TCM syndrome scores in the two groups were decreased when compared with those before treatment (P<0.05), with the observation group scoring lower than the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the levels of IgA, IgG, and IgM in the two groups were increased when compared with those before treatment (P<0.05),with the observation group showing higher levels than the control group (P<0.05). The overall effective rate was 87.50%( 49/56) in the observation group and 70.37%( 38/54) in the control group,with a significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). Conclusion:Modified wheat-grain size cone moxibustion for recurrent upper respiratory tract infections in children of lung-spleen qi deficiency type during the non-acute infection period can effectively alleviate clinical symptoms,reduce the recurrence of upper respiratory tract infections,shorten the duration of illness,and enhance immune function in children.