Abstract:

The paper summarizes Professor Ding Lizhong's academic experience in treating pediatric asthma based on the theory of "latent phlegm-blood stasis". The core pathogenesis of pediatric asthma is "latent phlegm" which arises from dysfunction of the lung, spleen, and kidney viscera, leading to disordered fluid metabolism; the latent phlegm is retained in the lung orifices and manifests as wheezing when triggered by exogenous pathogenic factors. As the disease progresses, phlegm and Qi become intermingled, and the lung fails to disperse and descend and is unable to assist blood circulation, resulting in sluggish blood circulation and leading to blood stasis; the blood stasis obstructs the movement of Qi and impedes the distribution of body fluids, so the phlegm-turbidity accumulates progressively, resulting in a pathological pattern of intertwined phlegm and stasis. In clinical practice, Professor Ding Lizhong advocates stage-based treatment: during the attack phase, pathogenic excess factors predominate, and the treatment is to arrest asthma, relieve panting, activate blood circulation and dredge collaterals, so Longxie Chuxiao decoction is given; during the protracted phase, the deficient healthy-Qi with lingering pathogenic factors and unresolved phlegm-stasis lead to impaired lung-spleen Qi, and the management approach is to calm asthma, resolve phlegm, nourish blood, and activate blood circulation, so Pingxiao Huatan decoction is used;during the remission phase, pathogenic factors are eliminated yet healthy-Qi is deficient, latent phlegm remains inside and residual blood-stasis awaits clearance, and the treatment is to consolidate the root to prevent asthma recurrence and reinforce primordial Qi to resolve blood stasis, so Guben Fangxiao decoction is administered. Professor Ding Lizhong's syndrome-differentiated treatment system of "latent phlegm-blood stasis and stage-based treatment" is characterized by close interlinkage of principles, therapeutic methods, formulas and medicines, which has great significance in guiding standardized diagnosis and treatment of asthma in children.

Key words: Asthma, Latent phlegm-blood stasis, Stage-based treatment, Child