• Keyan Chai, Haojia Wang, Yueqin Guan, Rui Shi, Antony Stalin, Yiyan Zhai, Jiying Zhou, Chuanqi Qiao, Siyun Yang, Jiaqi Li, Xiaomeng Zhang, and Jiarui Wu.
• Department of Clinical Chinese Pharmacy, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
• Medicine (Baltimore). 2024 Jul 19; 103 (29): e38904e38904.

BackgroundRespiratory tract infections (RTIs) are characterized by a high mortality rate and clinical incidence. Bairui granules (BG), which employ a method of heat elimination and detoxification, have demonstrated benefits in the treatment of infectious respiratory diseases.MethodsA computerized search of 6 databases was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) relevant to the treatment of RTIs with BG up to November 30, 2023. Two researchers independently conducted data extraction, risk of bias assessment, and grading analysis. To evaluate the stability of the results, trial sequential analysis was employed.ResultsThis meta-analysis included 31 RCTs with a total of 4073 patients and demonstrated that the use of BG in the treatment of RTIs was associated with enhanced treatment efficacy (relative risk = 1.19, 95% credible interval: 1.16-1.22, P < .001). It also indicated a faster resolution of symptoms including pulmonary rales, cough, and fever, as well as a reduction in serological index factors, compared to the use of Western medicine treatment (WT) alone. Additionally, the duration of hospitalization for patients was significantly reduced (relative risk = -1.36, 95% credible interval: -1.55 to -1.17, P < .001). Trial sequential analysis confirmed the stability and conclusive evidence of the study results. The efficacy of treating RTIs with BG, either alone or in combination with WT, was found to be superior to WT alone. However, further high-quality RCTs are necessary to validate these outcomes.ConclusionThe effectiveness of treating RTIs using BG alone or in combination with WT was determined to be superior to using WT alone, with no serious adverse effects observed. However, additional RCTs are essential to further confirm the findings of this study.Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

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