Exploring the medication pattern of traditional Chinese medicine for asthma based on data mining technology

Purpose: Analyzing the medication pattern of Chinese medicine for asthma based on data mining technology. Method: We searched the relevant prescriptions for the treatment of asthma included in the Cloud Platform of Ancient and Modern Medical Cases since its establishment, screened the literature according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and used Microsoft Excel 2010 to carry out the frequency statistics of single medicines and drug combinations, and the Apriori algorithm of IBM SPSS Modeler 18.0 statistical software to analyze the association rules and compounding patterns of Chinese medicines. The high frequency Chinese medicines were analyzed by using IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0 for cluster analysis. Results: A total of 418 prescriptions were included, involving 395 flavors of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), with a cumulative frequency of 5425 times, among which the top 20 drugs in terms of frequency of use had a cumulative frequency of 2280 times, and those with a frequency of use of ⩾ 115 times were, from highest to lowest, as follows: Licorice (274), Ephedra (200), Almond (179), Banxia (176), Skullcap (117), Tuckahoe (116). The four qi were dominated by warm (35.03%) and cold (34.01%); the five flavors were dominated by pleasant (30.77%) and bitter (29.60%); and the attributed meridians were dominated by the lung meridian (21.43%) and the liver meridian (18.44%).The association analysis yielded six sets of core pairs, of which those with ⩾ 15% support and ⩾ 80% confidence were (Licorice - Almond + Ephedra), (Ephedra - Assarium), (Licorice - Tangerine peel), (Licorice - White peony), ( Licorice - Cinnamon branches), (Ephedra - Assarium + Licorice). Conclusion: The prescription of Chinese medicine for bronchial asthma is based on resolving phlegm and calming asthma, warming the lungs and resolving drinks, clearing the lungs and relieving cough, tonifying the lungs and the spleen, restoring wind and relieving spasm, and dispelling blood stasis and clearing the channels.