Efficacy and Safety of Combined Treatment with Traditional Herbal Medicine and Western Medicine for Children with Pertussis-like Syndrome: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

ABSTRACT: Background/Objectives: Pertussis-like syndrome (PLS) presents symptoms similar to whooping cough but without Bordetella pertussis detection. This study assessed the efficacy and safety of combined treatment herbal and Western medicine (HM and WM, respectively) for PLS. Methods: Eleven English, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese databases were searched until 1 December 2024. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that compared HM with WM versus WM alone in children with PLS were included. Independent searches and risk-of-bias analyses were conducted. Random-effects and fixed-effects models were utilized. Dichotomous outcomes are presented as the risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI), and continuous outcomes as either the standard mean difference (SMD) or mean differen

SUBMITTER: Choi JU 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12111028 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature