Hand-foot-mouth disease and use of steroids, intravenous immunoglobulin, and traditional Chinese herbs in a tertiary hospital in Shantou, China

Abstract

BackgroundIn contrast to the guidelines of World Health Organization (WHO) and United States-Centers for Disease Control and prevention (US-CDC), the Chinese national guidelines recommend the use of steroids, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), or traditional Chinese herbs (TCHs) in hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) management. Their use and therapeutic efficacies are, however, unclear. We aimed to describe their use in and the clinical outcomes of hospitalized HFMD cases.MethodsA retrospective review of hospital medical records for HFMD cases during 2008–2016 was conducted in a medical school-affiliated tertiary hospital in Shantou, Guangdong, China.ResultsHospitalized children with the discharge diagnosis of HFMD (n = 3778), comprising mild (58.4%), severe (41.5%), and very severe (0.1%) cases, were enrolled in the study. Steroids, IVIG, and antiviral TCH Lan-Qin were respectively prescribed in 60.5, 37.1, and 71.0% of cases. Most cases (99.8%) recovered and six died. Recovery rate was lower with the use of IVIG and higher with Lan-Qin (alone or in combination with steroid) in the mild cases (Ps < 0.05). Longer hospital stay was observed with steroid/IVIG with or without Lan-Qin in the severe cases (Ps < 0.05).ConclusionsThis nine-year retrospective review shows 1) an increase in the incidence of HFMD as well as the use of steroids, IVIG, and TCH over time, 2) no significant advantage of using steroids and IVIG, either alone or in combination, in the management of mild HFMD cases, and 3) a higher recovery rate in mild HFMD cases with the use of antiviral TCH (Lan-Qin). Our findings need verification in a larger prospect study with cases from hospitals in other regions of China. Lan-Qin efficacy should be evaluated in randomized trials. Meanwhile, caution should be exercised in the extensive use of steroids and IVIG in HFMD management.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12906-018-2259-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Traditional Medicine Beliefs and Practices among Caregivers of Children under Five Years—The Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS), Western Kenya: A qualitative study

“…There is evidence that for limited conditions such as diarrhea, dehydration and infantile colic, herbal medications can be effective [12]. An increasing and high prevalence of use has been documented among children with chronic illnesses such as cancer and gastroenteritis and other diseases such as hand and foot disease, malaria and pain during teething [11][12][13][14][15]. In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), malaria, pneumonia and diarrhea remain the major cause of preventable deaths among children under five years of age [16].…”