Meta-analysis of the effectiveness and safety of Xingnaojing and naloxone in the treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning

Background: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Xingnaojing combined with naloxone in the treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Methods: By retrieving the literatures published in the databases of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, Wanfang Database, Weipu Database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure from January 2010 to September 2021, the data of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of Xingnaojing combined with naloxone in the treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning were extracted. The methodological quality of the included RCTs was evaluated by using the tools of bias risk evaluation of Cochrane Collaboration, and the data were statistically analyzed by using RevMan 5.3 software.

Results: A total of 20 literatures were included, involving in 771 cases treated by Xingnaojing combined with naloxone and 761 cases in the control group. The effective rate of the experimental group is higher than that of the control group [risk ratio (RR) = 1.20, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.14, 1.26)]. The average awake time (STD mean difference = -2.08, 95% CI [-2.60, -1.56]), physical recovery time (STD mean difference = -2.94, 95% CI [-3.59, -2.28]), delayed encephalopathy (RR = 0.44, 95% CI [0.31, 0.62]), and adverse reactions (RR = 0.23, 95% CI [0.10, 0.54]) was lower than that of the control group.

Conclusion: Xingnaojing combined with naloxone in the treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning is significantly superior to naloxone, but it still needs to be further verified by high-quality large samples of RCTs.