Evaluating the Effects of Heat-Clearing Traditional Chinese Medicine in Stable Bronchiectasis by a Series of N-of-1 Trials
Table 4
Comparison of group data between the two decoctions in each outcome.
Group level data (n = 21)
Individualized decoction X ± S
Individualized decoction removed of heat-clearing drugs X ± S
Mean difference and 95% CI
t
values
Symptoms score on Likert scale
2.08 ± 0.68
1.94 ± 0.69
0.19 (0.01, 0.37)
2.20
0.040▲
Respiratory symptoms score on Likert scale
2.11 ± 0.75
1.98 ± 0.78
0.15 (−0.05, 0.35)
1.57
0.132
24-hour sputum volume (ml)
31.52 ± 40.54
33.74 ± 44.44
−1.46 (−3.59, 0.67)
−1.40
0.168
CAT scores
13.95 ± 6.97
13.66 ± 6.57
0.86 (0.042, 1.67)
2.19
0.040
TCM syndrome scores (lung and spleen Qi deficiency syndrome)
7.50 ± 3.12
7.75 ± 4.69
−0.73 (−5.70, 4.24)
−0.40
0.704
TCM syndrome scores (Qi and Yin deficiency syndrome)
14.51 ± 6.46
13.70 ± 6.57
1.12 (−1.23, 3.47)
1.02
0.324
Note. ▲ indicates that symptom scores on the Likert scale of the individualized decoction were higher than those of individualized decoction removed of heat-clearing drugs. indicates that the CAT score of individualized decoction was higher than that of the individualized decoction removed of heat-clearing drugs.
