Objective: To study the effect and safety of graded therapy featuring integrative traditional Chinese and Western medicine for the treatment of hemophilic arthritis.
Methods: Forty patients with hemophilic arthritis were hospitalized randomly, with their blood coagulation factor activity determined by one-stage method and their arthritis classified into 4 stages. The treatment was applied according to the stage of arthritis and finding of intra-articular cavity puncture. For stage I, based on the principle of RICE (rest, ice, compression and elevation), 1.8 g of Xuefuda was medicated orally once per day, intravenous dripping of 250 mL of hemostasis mixture twice a day and 1.2 g of clindamycin per day were also given for hemostasis and anti-inflammation. For stage II-III, Kangyanling was additionally administered via intra-articular cavity injection twice a week, 2 mL every time, for 5-6 times in total. For stage IV, the drug for intra-articular cavity injection was replaced with 25 mg of sodium hyaluronate and the frequency of injection reduced to every two weeks, for 5-6 times in total. Coagulation factors III and IV as well as blood plasma were not given in the whole treatment course. Short-term therapeutic effects and adverse reaction in patients were evaluated, and the long-term effects were followed-up after patients left the hospital with 6-month consolidation therapy by Xuefuda.
Results: After a 3-week treatment, 33 patients (82.5%) were completely remitted; 5 (12.5%) were partially remitted and 2 (5.0%) un-remitted, setting the short-term effective rate at 95.0% (38 cases). The 6-month follow-up showed that except for a relapse in 2 and 4 patients of stage III and IV respectively, long-term remission displayed in all the other 34 patients, with the remission sustaining rate being 85.0%. No complication such as an infection, bleeding or aggravating pain occurred in the 215 times intra-articular puncturing conducted in the 40 patients. Normal figures were shown in liver and kidney function, electrolytes, ECG, blood glucose and routine test of blood and urine throughout the course.
Conclusion: The graded treatment of integrative medicine for hemophilia with non-blood preparation has a favorable effect and is safe or without any adverse reaction, which opens a high efficacy and new safe path and thinking for the treatment of and deformity prevention in the hemophilic patients.