[Traditional Chinese medicinal compress combined with herbal fumigation for acute epididymitis: A clinical observation].

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of traditional Chinese medicinal (TCM) compress combined with herbal fumigation in the treatment of acute epididymitis.

Methods: This study included 74 cases of acute epididymitis treated in our hospital from December 2021 to December 2023. Using the single blind and random number methods, we divided the patients into a trial (n = 37) and a control group (n = 37). On the basis of routine medication with antibiotics, we treated the patients in the trial group by TCM compress combined with herbal fumigation and those in the control group by dyed pure water compress combined with herbal fumigation. At 3, 7 and 14 days of treatment, we obtained the pain scores and maximum epididymal diameters from the patients and compared them between the two groups before and after treatment.

Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the control and trial groups in the baseline pain scores (6.79 vs 6.85, P>0.05) and maximum epididymal diameters of the patients (［1.61 ± 0.39］ vs ［1.59 ± 0.42］ cm, P>0.05) or in the pain scores after 3 days of treatment (4.63 ± 0.95 vs 4.45 ± 1.87, P>0.05). Compared with the controls, the patients of the trial group showed significantly lower pain scores (3.78 ±1.03 vs 1.02±0.36, P<0.05) and a higher overall effectiveness rate (75.68% vs 91.89%, P<0.05) at 7 days, and markedly shorter maximum epididymal diameters at 3 days (［1.45 ± 0.38］ vs ［1.23 ± 0.72］ cm, P<0.05) and 7 days (［1.21 ± 0.29］ vs ［0.98 ± 0.15］ cm, P<0.05). No statistically significant differences were observed between the control and trial groups in the pain scores (0.79 ± 1.12 vs 0.67 ± 0.86, P>0.05), maximum epididymal diameters (［0.94 ± 0.33］ vs ［0.92 ± 0.21］ cm, P>0.05) or overall effectiveness rate (91.89% vs 97.30%, P>0.05) after 14 days of treatment.

Conclusion: On the basis of routine medication with antibiotics, TCM compress combined with herbal fumigation can effectively relieve pain, reduce local swelling, accelerate recovery and shorten the course of treatment in patients with acute epididymitis, and is therefore worthy of clinical promotion and application.