Clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine eye coating agents in the treatment of hordeola

Introduction /Objective. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of combining traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) eye-coating agents with levofloxacin in treating patients with a hordeolum. Methods. Using convenience sampling, 110 patients with a hordeolum treated at Tianjin Eye Hospital between March and June 2018 were included in this study. Patients were randomly divided into three groups: a coating agents group (coating agents + levofloxacin, n = 37), a wash group (eyelid wash + levofloxacin, n = 38) and a control group (levofloxacin alone, n = 35). Data on nodule size and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores for pain were collected before treatment and at three, five and seven days after treatment. Treatment efficacy was assessed after seven days, and comparisons were made between the three groups regarding nodule size, VAS scores and therapeutic outcomes. Results: Repeated-measures analysis of variance showed significant time effects, group effects and time-group interactions for both nodule size and VAS scores (p < 0.05). Over time, all groups exhibited a significant reduction in nodule size and VAS scores compared with the baseline. Pairwise comparisons revealed that on days 3, 5 and 7, the order for nodule size and VAS scores was consistent across the groups: coating agents group = wash group < control group. Treatment efficacy comparisons were statistically significant (94.59% vs. 86.84% vs. 71.43%, ?2 = 7.622, p < 0.05), with the order from highest to lowest efficacy being as follows: coating agents? group = wash group > control group. Conclusion: The combination of TCM eye coating agents with levofloxacin shows promise in treating a hordeolum, effectively reducing eyelid swelling and pain, shortening healing time and improving treatment success rates.