Abstract
Background & Object : It is well known that functional dyspepsia is one of the most common diseases. While many dyspepsia patients have been helped with oriental medical therapy, there has not been a study based on the concepts of oriental medicine. The aim of this study was to perform a fundamental epidemiological survey and to analyse the symptom pattern of functional dyspepsia. Methods : 86 patients(27 males, 59 females) diagnosed with functional dyspepsia in Kyunghee Oriental Medical Center from May to December 2002 were involved in this investigation. The disease characteristics of functional dyspepsia(based on Rome criteria II) and the Qui Xue Shui diagnostic procedure were investigated by questionnaire and physical examination. The total score and composition ratio of each comprehensive diagnosis were calculated from the symptom score described in the questionnaire. Results : The total score from the Qui Xue Shui diagnostic procedure was found to be influenced by the number of functional dyspepsia symptoms(p=0.026) and the patient's own cognition of their current dyspeptic situation(p=0.006), in addition to digestive ability and general congnition(p=0.006), and was not associated with sex, duration of dyspeptic symptoms in one year, or the total illness period, In the composition ratio of the Qui Xue Shui diagnostic procedure, only Qui-yu(p=0.048) diagnosis was accurate regarding the number of symptoms in one year, total illness period, or the patients' own congnition of their current dyspeptic situation, But the value of the composition ratio among the total factors involved was most similar to that of sex. Conclusions : Thus, it is shown here that the total score of using the Qui Xue Shui diagnostic procedure is mainly dependent on dyspeptic symptoms and the patinets' own cognition of their current dyspeptic situation, and that regular symptom patterns in the Qui Xue Shui diagnostic procedure exist in dyspeptic patients.
