Abstract
BACKGROUND: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) with high mortality posed a great threat to public health, so seeking for alternative therapies for IPF is a growing concern. In China, external treatment of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), an effective supplementary intervention has shown potential value. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of external treatment of TCM combined with conventional treatment for IPF. METHODS: Eight databases were searched from their inception to March 2024, to collect randomized controlled trials, of external treatment of TCM combined with conventional treatment for IPF. Two researchers independently conducted study selection and data extraction. The quality of the study was evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool, and data were analyzed using RevMan 5.4 software. RESULTS: The meta-analysis included 11 studies with a total of 981 participants with IPF. The results of it showed that forced vital capacity, diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide, 6-minute walk distance and arterial partial pressure of oxygen were significantly improved in the group of external treatment combined with conventional treatment (experimental group) than the group receiving conventional treatment only (control group). Symptom score of St George's Respiratory Questionnaire and activity score of St George's Respiratory Questionnaire were significantly decreased in the experimental group than the control group. CONCLUSION: External treatment, as an effective supplementary intervention, combined with conventional treatment shows promising efficacy and safety in treating IPF. However, the limited number and quality of the included studies caused the limitations of these results. More high-quality randomized controlled trials are required to confirm the conclusion in the future.