Chinese Herb Patrinia Herba (Bai Jiang Cao) for Acute Respiratory Tract Infections: A Systematic Review of Clinical Studies.

Acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) are a group of common diseases with a high incidence that cause tremendous pressure on the healthcare system globally. Patrinia Herba (Bai Jiang Cao) has a long history of use in China. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of Patrinia Herba for ARTIs. We searched the Chinese and English databases from their inception to March 2022 for clinical studies that tested single-herb preparations or formulae containing Patrinia Herba for ARTIs. We used the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 and non-randomised studies as intervention tools for quality assessment. The review protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021260330). Six trials (2 107 participants) were identified. Two trials were pooled. The results showed that, in adults and children with influenza, single Patrinia Herba granules or injections improved the participants' feelings of aversion to cold, general malaise, nasal obstruction, runny nose, sore throat, cough, headache, and dizziness after a two-day treatment. For adults and children with pneumonia, Patrinia Herba compound preparations plus antibiotics appeared better than antibiotics alone in relieving fever, cough, shortness of breath, and chest pain. The overall methodological quality of the included randomised controlled trials was rated as unclear, low, or moderate for controlled clinical trials. No severe adverse events were reported. Low- or moderate-quality evidence demonstrates that single herb or compound preparations of Patrinia Herba may be effective for ARTIs in terms of symptom remission. Further high-quality studies are needed to confirm their potential for treating ARTIs. • This systematic review reviewed the controlled clinical trials and the randomised controlled trials of the clinical effectiveness and safety of Patrinia Herba in acute respiratory tract infections. • One trial indicated that single Patrinia Herba granules or injection improved the influenza participants' feeling of fever, aversion to cold, general malaise, nasal obstruction, runny nose, sore throat, cough, headache, and dizziness. • Four trials showed herbal mixtures containing Patrinia Herba improved the feeling of fever and cough for patients with Community-Acquired Pneumonia. • One trial showed that herbal mixtures containing Patrinia Herba treating children with Pneumonia improved their resolution time of fever and cough. • During the treatment of Patrinia Herba , the adverse events observed included gastrointestinal reactions, headache, dizziness, and skin itching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]