[Evaluation of application of TCM Fu-Zheng treatment in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease based on SrTO].
Using the systematic review of text and opinion(SrTO) methodology, this study conducted a quality appraisal and synthesis of literature related to the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD) with the TCM Fu-Zheng(supporting healthy Qi) method, with the aim of providing evidence-based basis for its rational clinical application. Non-research literature on the use of the TCM Fu-Zheng method for AECOPD was comprehensively retrieved. Published literature was sourced from traditional sources, including CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, and Duxiu Academic Search, while grey literature was sourced from the Chinese Academy of Sciences pre-publication platform for scientific papers, government websites, industry association websites, and WeChat official accounts. Two researchers independently screened the literature and extracted data, and the included content was appraised using the JBI textual quality appraisal tool. CONCLUSION::s were generated using the three-stage conclusion aggregation method of the NOTARI module. Chi-square tests were used to analyze the association between geographic regions and conclusion types, and Mann-Kendall tests together with the Theil-Sen method were employed to compare temporal differences in the number of conclusions. A total of 319 documents were included, from which 378 textual units involving 219 physicians were extracted, spanning the period from 1994 to 2025 and covering 28 provinces and municipalities. All seven policy-related texts were rated as "clear" in credibility, with nine cumulative repetitions, yielding two secondary conclusions and one tertiary conclusion. These conclusions provided clear directional guidance: the treatment of AECOPD should follow the principle of "treating the manifestations in acute conditions and the root in stable phases", focusing primarily on pathogen-eliminating measures such as clearing heat, resolving phlegm, activating blood, diffusing the lung and descending Qi, and opening the orifices, while simultaneously emphasizing "attending to both Qi and Yin" through Fu-Zheng approaches, including tonifying the lung and strengthening the spleen or tonifying both the lung and kidney, so as to prevent excessive pathogen elimination from damaging healthy Qi. Among the 371 experiential opinion and/or case-based textual units, 129 were rated as "clear", 199 as "credible", and 43 as "not supported", with 476 cumulative repetitions, forming 14 secondary conclusions and 4 tertiary conclusions. Fu-Zheng by tonifying Qi(conclusion A) comprised 264 textual units, with 48.67% rated as "clear", and its dominant secondary conclusion was spleen-strengthening and Qi-tonifying(A1, 110 units). Fu-Zheng by warming Yang(conclusion B) included 76 units, with 39.48% rated as "clear". Fu-Zheng by nourishing Yin(conclusion C) comprised 86 units, with 37.21% rated as "clear". CONCLUSION:: D addressed the overall necessity of the Fu-Zheng method without specifying particular therapeutic approaches and included 50 units, 38.00% of which were rated as "clear". No statistically significant differences were observed in the distribution of conclusions across geographic regions. In terms of growth trends, conclusion A showed a significantly greater increase than conclusions B, C, and D(P<0.05), with a markedly larger difference, whereas no differences were observed among conclusions B, C, and D, whose trends were relatively modest. These results indicate that the Fu-Zheng method plays a clearly established role in the treatment of AECOPD, although its application requires strict adherence to appropriate indications. Among the various Fu-Zheng approaches, Qi-tonifying predominates, as reflected by its highest utilization proportion, most pronounced temporal growth, and strongest evidence base, with spleen-strengthening and Qi-tonifying being particularly critical. Yang-warming and Yin-nourishing therapies, while indispensable in specific syndrome patterns, have relatively limited application scenarios.