Witt Claudia M, Lüdtke Rainer, Willich Stefan N
Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité University Medical Centre, D-10098 Berlin, Germany.
BMC Ear Nose Throat Disord. 2009 Jul 27;9:7. doi: 10.1186/1472-6815-9-7.
An evaluation of homeopathic treatment and the outcomes in patients suffering from sinusitis for >or=12 weeks in a usual care situation.
Subgroup analysis including all patients with chronic sinusitis (ICD-9: 473.9; >or=12 weeks duration) of a large prospective multicentre observational study population. Consecutive patients presenting for homeopathic treatment were followed-up for 2 years, and complaint severity, health-related quality of life (QoL), and medication use were regularly recorded. We also present here patient-reported health status 8 years post initial treatment.
The study included 134 adults (mean age 39.8 +/- 10.4 years, 76.1% women), treated by 62 physicians. Patients had suffered from chronic sinusitis for 10.7 +/- 9.8 years. Almost all patients (97.0%) had previously been treated with conventional medicine. For sinusitis, effect size (effect divided by standard deviation at baseline) of complaint severity was 1.58 (95% CI 1.77; 1.40), 2.15 (2.38; 1.92), and 2.43 (2.68; 2.18) at 3, 12, and 24 months respectively. QoL improved accordingly, with SF-36 changes in physical component score 0.27 (0.15; 0.39), 0.35 (0.19; 0.52), 0.44 (0.23; 0.65) and mental component score 0.66 (0.49; 0.84), 0.71 (0.50; 0.92), 0.65 (0.39; 0.92), 0.74 (0.49; 1.00) at these points. The effects were still present after 8 years with SF-36 physical component score 0.38 (0.10; 0.65) and mental component score 0.74 (0.49; 1.00).
This observational study showed relevant improvements that persisted for 8 years in patients seeking homeopathic treatment because of sinusitis. The extent to which the observed effects are due to the life-style regulation and placebo or context effects associated with the treatment needs clarification in future explanatory studies.
在常规护理情况下，对患有鼻窦炎≥12周的患者进行顺势疗法治疗及疗效评估。
对一项大型前瞻性多中心观察性研究人群中所有慢性鼻窦炎患者（国际疾病分类第九版：473.9；病程≥12周）进行亚组分析。对连续接受顺势疗法治疗的患者进行了2年的随访，并定期记录症状严重程度、健康相关生活质量（QoL）和药物使用情况。我们还在此展示了初始治疗8年后患者报告的健康状况。
该研究纳入了134名成年人（平均年龄39.8±10.4岁，76.1%为女性），由62名医生进行治疗。患者患有慢性鼻窦炎10.7±9.8年。几乎所有患者（97.0%）此前都接受过传统药物治疗。对于鼻窦炎，症状严重程度的效应量（效应除以基线标准差）在3个月、12个月和24个月时分别为1.58（95%可信区间1.77；1.40）、2.15（2.38；1.92）和2.43（2.68；2.18）。生活质量相应改善，在这些时间点，SF-36身体成分得分变化分别为0.27（0.15；0.39）、0.35（0.19；0.52）、0.44（0.23；0.65），精神成分得分变化分别为0.66（0.49；0.84）、0.71（0.50；0.92）、0.65（0.39；好0.92）、0.74（0.49；1.00）。8年后这些效应仍然存在，SF-36身体成分得分0.38（0.10；0.65），精神成分得分0.74（0.49；1.00）。
这项观察性研究表明，因鼻窦炎寻求顺势疗法治疗的患者有显著改善，且持续了8年。观察到的效应在多大程度上归因于生活方式调节、安慰剂效应或与治疗相关的背景效应，需要在未来的解释性研究中加以阐明。
