Improved Pulmonary Inflammation and Fibrosis Progression after Influenza A (H1N1) Infection by Chinese Herbal Medicine: A Case Report

Abstract

Influenza A (H1N1) virus was the most common cause of human influenza (flu) in 2009. We report a patient infected with influenza A virus who showed improvement in his pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis progression after switching to Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) therapy. Although antiviral drug and corticosteroids were administered, some disturbing respiratory illness and immune imbalance attributed to corticosteroids taken prompted him to seek for CHM therapy. After CHM treatment for three months, significant recovery in chest radiograph was noted, and the result of subsequent pulmonary function test showed improvement.