Journal of Integrative Nursing · Published 2026-04-01 · DOI 10.4103/jin.jin_41_26
Background: The sequela of pelvic inflammatory disease (SPID) impair physical and psychosocial health. Integrated traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) nursing, combining herbal enema with moxibustion, may offer benefits, yet evidence is limited. This study aims to assess the clinical outcomes associated with a defined TCM protocol administered to inpatients, and to contextualize findings using an outpatient cohort receiving standard care. Methods: A prospective, observational study was conducted from February to October 2025, in Beijing, China, and involved 140 women from a Grade A TCM hospital. The intervention group (n = 70) comprised hospitalized patients receiving the standard care combined with TCM nursing protocol (TCM enema combined with Moxibustion). The reference group (n = 70) comprised outpatients receiving standard care. The primary outcome was the symptom and the sign conditions (assessed with the TCM symptom and the sign rating scales). The secondary outcomes were pelvic pain intensity, sleep quality, and the anxious condition, which were assessed using the corresponding measuring tools, respectively. Data were assessed at baseline and reassessed 14 days after intervention. Results: Baseline analysis confirmed the inpatient cohort represented a higher-severity subset of the disease spectrum. Both the therapeutic pathways were effective. The intervention group demonstrated significant, large-magnitude improvements in all symptom scores postprotocol (all P < 0.001; r = 0.63–0.82). The reference group showed moderate improvements (all P < 0.001; r = 0.48–0.58). Regarding the between-pathway difference, the superior improvement observed in the inpatient pathway was statistically robust (all P < 0.001; r = 0.47–0.79). Conclusion: The integrated TCM nursing protocol is strongly associated with symptom improvement in hospitalized SPID patients, providing real-world benchmarks for future research.
Abstract from DOAJ. Public domain (CC0 1.0).
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