Abstract: ObjectiveTo analyze the symptomatic characteristics and evolution rule in terms of TCM in children with HFMD.
MethodsInvestigate simultaneously at two clinical centers,collect TCM syndrome patterns of the HFMD and information of the four diagnostic methods and its relevant elements,fill in clinical observation forms,and build up database accordingly.The cases included in the database were classified according to the syndromes as:windheat invading lung,pathogenic dampness invading the lung and spleen,dampheat with exuberance of virulence,deficiency of qi and yin,toxicity invading heart and liver,water pathogen invading heart and liver,and deficiency of both yin and yang.Followup observation was made on children's clinical performance on the admission day(reference point),and also on the 3rd,5th and 7th day after medication treatments,so as to identify the TCM syndrome pattern.Apply the probabilistic method to children's HFMD,and systematically analyze the evolution rule of TCM syndrome of children's HFMD at different observation points.
ResultsIt was found that children with HFMD mostly showed symptoms similar to herpes on hands and feet,and they were more likely to have mouth pain,fever and refuse to eat,and the difference had statistical significance(P<0.01）;windheat appeared more often than other symptoms,and the difference also had statistical significance（P＜0.05）.At an early stage,the main symptoms were mostly windheat invading lung,and pathogenic dampness invading the lung and spleen.The middle period was the vital stage when the excess type developed into deficiency.At the later stage although excess type was more likely to appear,the existing probabilities somewhat decreased,and the syndrome tended to transform into deficiency of qi and yin or normal state.
ConclusionsThe child HFMD in most cases performs as windheat invading lung,and pathogenic dampness invading the lung and spleen ranks the second.Its TCM syndromes evolute as different patterns at different observation points.

Key words: Handfootmouth disease/diagnosis；Symptomatology；Dialectical type, Child