Effect of Infrared Cough-Relieving Patch on Refractory Cough in Patients with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

doi:10.16458/j.cnki.1007-0893.2025.17.019

Abstract：Objective: To investigate the effect of infrared cough-relieving patch on refractory cough in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: A prospective study was conducted, selecting 65 patients with refractory cough due to NSCLC admitted to Ganzhou Tumor Hospital from December 2022 to December 2023 as the study subjects. The patients were randomly divided into a control group (32 cases) and an observation group (33 cases) according to the random number table method. Both groups received pemetrexed combined with cisplatin (AP) chemotherapy, as well as conventional interventions and treatments for refractory cough. The control group was treated with codeine phosphate tablets, while the observation group received infrared cough-relieving patch acupoint patching in addition to the above treatment. The clinical efficacy, TCM syndrome scores, time to cough relief, severity of cough, sleep quality, and quality of life were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. Results: The total effective rate of treatment in the observation group was higher than that in the control group, with a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). After treatment, the TCM syndrome score of the observation group was lower than that of the control group, and the time to cough relief was shorter, with statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). The severity of cough in the observation group was less than that in the control group, with a statistically significant difference (Z = 1.979, P = 0.048). After treatment, the KPS score of the observation group was higher than that of the control group, and the AIS score was lower, with statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Applying infrared cough-relieving patch to patients with refractory cough due to advanced NSCLC can help relieve cough in a short period, with better overall effectiveness, and can also reduce the severity of cough, improving sleep quality and quality of life.