Therapeutical Effects and Mechanism of Rhubarb on Multiple Organ Dysfunction Ayndrome in Critical Illness

OBJECTIVE To study the therapeutic effect and mechanism of rhubarb in critically ill patients with multiple organ dysfunction syndromes (MODS). METHODS All of 68 patients diagnosed as MODS in ICU were randomly divided into two groups: conventional treatment group and rhubarb group. Conventional treatment group were given targeted routine treatment after entering the ICU, while the rhubarb treatment group on the basis of conventional therapy were given early rhubarb powder 5 g and 3 times per day. Two groups of patients were given APACHE Ⅱ score, SOFA score, gastrointestinal dysfunction score, blood serum procalcitonin (PCT), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 and 10 (IL-6 and IL-10) before treatment and 5,8 d after treatment, then observed mortality of the patients after 28 days. RESULTS Compared with the conventional treatment group, the APACHE Ⅱ score, SOFA score, gastrointestinal dysfunction score, serum PCT, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-10 level in rhubarb group decreased significantly. The mortality of the rhubarb group and the conventional treatment group was 25.7% and 39.4%, respective, the difference had statistically significance(P<0.05). CONCLUSION Rhubarb has protective effects on the patients with MODS. The mechanism may be related to the improvement of gastrointestinal function of the patients with MODS and inhibition of the inflammatory reaction.