Objective:

2

To assess the outcomes after acupoint application in patients with pharyngeal pain in a real-world settings

and analyze the characteristics of effective population and prescription characteristics of acupoint application.

Methods:

2

Based on CHUNBO platform

patients with pharyngeal pain who were candidates for acupoint application on the basis of physician-evaluation

were enrolled in a nationwide

prospective

69-week multicenter observational study from August 2020 to February 2022. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to match the confounding factors and the association rules were used to analyze the characteristics of effective population and prescription characteristics of acupoint application. Outcome assessments included the disappearance rate of pharyngeal pain (within 3

7

and 14 days)

disappearance time of pharyngeal pain

as well as adverse events.

Results:

2

Of 7

699 enrolled participants

6

693 (86.9%) received acupoint application and 1

450 (21.7%) with non-acupoint application. After PSM

there were 1

004 patients each in the application group (AG) and non-application group (NAG). The disappearance rate of pharyngeal pain in the AG at 3

7

and 14 days were all higher than those in the NAG (

P

<

0.05). The disappearance time of pharyngeal pain in the AG were shorter than that in the NAG (logrank

P

<

0.001

hazard ratio=1.51

95% confidence interval: 1.41–1.63). The median age of effective cases was 4 years

mainly 3–6 years old (40.21%). The disappearance rate of pharyngeal pain in the application group with tonsil diseases was 2.19 times higher than that in the NAG (

P

<

0.05). The commonly used acupoints for the effective cases were Tiantu (RN 22)

Shenque (RN 8) and Dazhui (DU 14). The commonly used herbs for the effective cases were

Natrii sulfas

Radix et Rhizoma Rhei

and

Herba Ephedrae

. Among them

Natrii sulfas

was applied to RN 8 most frequently (support 84.39%). A total of 1

324 (17.2%) patients experienced AEs

and mainly occurred in the AG

with significant difference in the incidence of AEs between goups (

P

<

0.05). All AEs reported were the first grade

and the average regression time of AEs was 2.8 days.

Conclusions:

2

Acupoint application in patients with pharyngeal pain resulted in improved effective rate and shortened duration

especially children aged 3–6 years old

and those with tonsil diseases. Acupoint of RN 22

RN 8 and DU 14

herbs of

Natrii sulfas

Radix et Rhizoma Rhei

and

Herba Ephedrae

were the most commonly used in the treatment of pharyngeal pain.