A Review of Clinical Research on Herbal Medicine for Bronchiectasis: A Focus on Randomized Controlled Trials in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze research trends and clinical characteristics of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating oral herbal medicine for bronchiectasis.Methods: A total of 173 RCTs were included. Data were analyzed for study characteristics, interventions, pattern identification, prescriptions, herbs, and outcomes, and risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane RoB 1.0.Results: The number of studies generally increased after 2010. Phlegm-heat obstructing the lung was the most frequently reported pattern, and Qingjin <i>Huatan-tang</i> was the most frequently used prescription. Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Scutellariae Radix, and Platycodonis Radix were frequently used. The total effective rate was the most common outcome. Most studies did not explicitly distinguish primary and secondary outcomes, and several risk-of-bias domains were predominantly rated as unclear because of insufficient reporting.Conclusions: The included RCTs used diverse patterns, prescriptions, herbs, and outcomes. Standardization of pattern identification and outcome measures, along with improved methodological reporting, is needed.