🌿 Folk Prescriptions

The Neurosurgery Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine treated 1,100 patients with acute cranial injury using integrated Chinese-Western medicine therapy from August 1999 to December 2002, achieving satisfactory clinical outcomes, providing evidence for the integration of Chinese and Western medicine in treating this condition.
Researchers explained that in this cohort of 1,100 patients, Western medical treatment was administered according to injury severity and CT findings. Surgery was performed when indicated; non-surgical cases received standard treatments including diuresis, mannitol dehydration, hemostasis, antibiotics, prevention of gastrointestinal bleeding, tracheotomy to maintain airway patency, neurotrophic agents, oxygen therapy, and hyperbaric oxygen. Patients with associated injuries received timely specialty treatment. Chinese medicine treatment was based on early syndrome differentiation, primarily using methods such as activating blood circulation to remove stasis and clearing orifices to awaken the mind. Patented Chinese medicines such as Chuanxiongine, Xuesaitong, and Xingnaojing were used, while decoctions included Tao Hong Si Wu Tang or Xuefu Zhuyu Tang with modifications.
The results showed that among the 1,100 patients, 1,021 were cured, 17 had moderate disability, 9 had severe disability, 5 were in a vegetative state, and 48 died (3 deaths in moderate cases, 11 in severe cases, 34 in extremely severe cases).
The researchers concluded that syndrome differentiation and treatment in traditional Chinese medicine can improve microcirculation, reduce secondary damage, enhance cerebral perfusion, and stabilize the internal environment. After brain injury, levels of whole blood viscosity, red blood cell aggregation index, fibrinogen, and neurotransmitters all increase. Excessive dehydration and hemostatic drugs lead to blood concentration, while release of clotting factors and vasoactive substances after cerebral contusion causes cerebral vascular spasm, worsening microcirculatory disorders and exacerbating secondary brain injury. Drugs that activate blood circulation and remove stasis effectively reduce blood viscosity, enhance fibrinolytic activity, accelerate fibrinolysis, boost phagocyte function, improve microcirculation, and facilitate the excretion of toxic metabolic products after injury. This promotes repair of ruptured blood vessels and absorption of hematomas, reduces secondary brain injury, and aids recovery of neuronal function. Clinical observation revealed that intravenous administration of patented Chinese medicines like Chuanxiongine, Xuesaitong, and Xingnaojing did not increase bleeding risk, but promoted absorption of edema and small hematomas. Early enteral feeding or oral decoctions helped restore gastrointestinal function, enhance nutrient absorption, regulate water-electrolyte balance, promote metabolism and excretion of vasoactive substances and neurotransmitters, improve microcirculation, reduce intestinal flora imbalance, and decrease endotoxin absorption, thereby alleviating secondary brain injury.
The researchers pointed out that summarizing this cohort’s treatment outcomes and comparing them with recent domestic data, this group demonstrated a high cure rate, low disability and mortality rates. This suggests that using TCM’s holistic perspective for comprehensive syndrome and disease differentiation, combined with integrated Chinese-Western medicine rescue, can improve the cure rate of cranial injuries, reduce complications, lower disability and death rates. However, further standardized and randomized controlled trials are still needed.