The Clinical Effects of <i>Gamipaimo-tang</i> in Asthmatic Patients According to the Easiness of Sputum Expectoration

Choi, Jun-Yong; Hwang, Woo-Suck; Lee, Jae-Sung; Jung, Hee-Jae; Rhee, Hyung-Koo; Jung, Sung-Ki

The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine > Volume 24(3); 2003 > Article

Original Article

The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine 2003;24(3): 588-596.

가미패모탕의 기관지천식환자에 대한 객담배출 용이도에 따른 임상적 효과

The Clinical Effects of Gamipaimo-tang in Asthmatic Patients According to the Easiness of Sputum Expectoration

Jun-Yong Choi, Woo-Suck Hwang, Jae-Sung Lee, Hee-Jae Jung, Hyung-Koo Rhee, Sung-Ki Jung

Division of Respiratory System, Dept. of Internal Medicine, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence

Jun-Yong Choi ,Tel: 02-958-9147, Fax: 02-958-9148, Email: orientdoc@freechal.com

Published online: September 30, 2003.

ABSTRACT

Backgrounds :
Nowadays asthma is considered as an inflamatory disease characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness and pulmonary eosinophilia. Mucus hyeprsecretion, called as sputum when expectorated out of respiratory track, is an important feature of Asthma clinically and pathophysically. Mucus hyperscretion is also closely related to exacerbation and mortality.

Objectives:
We aimed to identify the clinical effects of Gamipaimo-tang and the difference of effects on Gamipaimo-tang according to the sputum expectoration easiness.

Materials and Methods :
The subjects consisted of 36 patients with asthma who had been treated with Gamipaimo-tang for four weeks. Gamipaimo-tang is herbal decoction which has been used of the traditional therapeutic agent of asthma. Grade of sputum expectoration easiness was checked before treatment and 2weeks, 4weeks after treatment. PFTs were checked before and 4weeks after treatments. QLQAKA was done before the treatment and followed up by 2weeks and 4weeks after initial treatment.

Results:
Treatment of Gamipaimo-tang for four weeks resulted in significant increase in FEV1.0%, PEFR%, QLQAKA. Patient group which was hard to expectorate sputum at beginig, made more significant improvement on PFT and QLQAKA than the group of relatively easy expectoration, and also made improvement on sputum expectoration easiness.

Conclusions:
This study showed that Gamipaimo-tang had the effects on improvement of pulmonary function and quality of life in asthmatic patients, and was more effective in patients who could not expectorate sputum easily. It is thought that asthma patients who are in more severe chronic inflammatory state, can benefit more from treating by Gamipaimo-tang. Obviously further researches concerning all this are still necessary.

Key words: Gamipaimo-tang(Jiaweibeimu-tang), asthma, PFT, sputum