[Clinical therapeutic effect on bronchial asthma by the observation of skin reaction after acupoint application based on chronic disease management platform of asthma].

Objective: To compare the therapeutic effect on bronchial asthma between presence of skin reaction and the absence of skin reaction after acupoint application.

Methods: Sixty-one patients with bronchial asthma were treated with acupoint application during the hottest periods of summer ("dog days"). The acupoints included Dingchuan (EX-B 1), Feishu (BL 13), Xinshu (BL 15), Pishu (BL 20) and Shenshu (BL 23). The treatment was given once every 7 days, with the herbal plaster remained for 6 h each time, and 4 treatments were required totally. According to the local skin reaction after acupoint application, a skin reaction group (30 cases, 2 cases dropped off) and a non-skin reaction group (31 cases) were divided. Separately, before treatment and 1 year after treatment, using chronic disease management platform of asthma, the number of asthma attacks, the score of asthma control test (ACT) and the score of asthma quality of life questionnaire (AQLQ) were recorded online. Besides, the therapeutic effect was observed in the two groups 1 year after treatment.

Results: One year after treatment, the number of asthma attacks was reduced as compared with that before treatment in the patients of either group (<0.001), the score of ACT and each domain in AQLQ, i.e. activity limitation, asthma symptoms, psychological state, reactions to stimuli and self-health care as well as the total scores of AQLQ were all increased as compared with those before treatment (<0.001). The number of asthma attacks in the skin reaction group was less than the non-skin reaction group (<0.05), the score of ACT and each domain of AQLQ and the total scores of AQLQ were all higher than the non-skin reaction group successively (<0.05, <0.01). The total effective rate was 82.1% (23/28) in the skin reaction group, better than 67.7% (21/31) in the non-skin reaction group (<0.05).

Conclusion: In treatment of acupoint application for bronchial asthma, the clinical therapeutic effect is better in the patients with local skin reaction after acupoint application. The chronic disease management platform of asthma is convenient for online evaluation.