Effects of acupoint herbal patching as an add-on to asthma medication during Sanfu days, as the hottest days in summer, on the acute attack, the immunological response, and the pulmonary function in asthmatic children: A meta-analysis

Background: A meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of acupoint herbal patching as an add-on to asthma medication during Sanfu days, as the hottest days in summer, on the acute attack, immunological response, and the pulmonary function in asthmatic children. Methods: A systematic literature search up to July 2021 was performed and 13 studies included 1166 asthmatic children at the start of the study; 587 of them were using acupoint herbal patching as an add-on to asthma medication during Sanfu days and 579 were given asthma medication only. Results: Acupoint herbal patching as add-on to asthma medication had significantly lower frequency of acute attack (mean difference [MD], –1.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], –2.28 to –0.85, P < .001), lower asthma relapse (odds ratio, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.04–0.43, P < .001), and higher forced expiratory volume in 1 second (MD, 1.72; 95% CI, 0.89–2.65, P < .001), higher peak expiratory flow rate (MD, 1.15; 95% CI, 0.37–1.93, P = .004), lower immunoglobulin E after treatment (MD, –123.81; 95% CI, –185.60 to –62.02, P < .001), and higher interferon-gamma after treatment (MD, 7.17; 95% CI, 2.42–11.92, P = .003) compared to asthma medication only in asthmatic children. Conclusions: Acupoint herbal patching as an add-on to asthma medication during Sanfu days had a significantly lower frequency of acute attack, lower asthma relapse, higher forced expiratory volume in 1 second, higher peak expiratory flow rate, and higher interferon-gamma after treatment in asthmatic children compared to asthma medication only in asthmatic children.