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A traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) containing 12 herbs (including Ephedra, which is banned in the U.S. and Canada) has been proposed as an alternative to oseltamivir for treating patients with H1N1 influenza. Researchers in China randomized 410 people (mean age, 19) with documented H1N1 infections to no treatment, oseltamivir, TCM, or oseltamivir plus TCM. The study was not blinded, and exclusion criteria included presence of a new infiltrate or substantial chronic illness.
The median time to fever resolution was 26 hours in the control arm; it was significantly shorter in each of the active treatment groups (oseltamivir, –34%; TCM, –37%; combination, –47%). Resolution of cough, sore throat, rhinorrhea, headache, and fatigue did not differ…