Xiao 2008.

Methods	This was a randomised, controlled, parallel clinical trial
Participants	1. Setting: The trial recruited participants from an outpatient and inpatient department of dermatology in a Chinese medicine teaching hospital in Chengdu, China 2. Age: from 3 to 23 years of age 3. Sex (men/women): 29/23 4. Number of participants randomised: 52 5. T/C: 26/26
Interventions	I. Treatment group a. Oral ingestion 1. Machixian decoction with individualised modifications 1.1 Ingredients and dosage Machixian (Herba portulacae) Tufuling (Rhizoma smilacis glabrae) Yuxingcao (Herba houttuyniae) Fuling (Poria) Mudanpi (Cortex moutan) Zijingpi (Cortex cercis chinensis) Longgu (Os draconis) Jiangcan (Bombyx batryticatus) Gancao(Radix glycyrrhizae), etc Did not provide dosage of the ingredients 1.2 Administration Oral ingestion 3 times daily, 30 ml of decoction for children below 12 years of age, 100 ml for 12 to 23 year‐olds 1.3 Duration of treatment 8 weeks 1.4 Follow up 12 weeks after the 8‐week treatment period b. Topical application Used the same oral ingestion intervention for external moist dressing 3 times daily II. Control group a. Oral ingestion 2. Chlorphenamine tablet 2.1 Ingredients and dosage Chlorphenamine 0.35 mg per kg of body weight per day 2.2 Administration Oral ingestion 2.3 Duration of treatment 8 weeks 2.4 Follow up 12 weeks after the 8‐week treatment b. Topical application 2. Boric acid solution 2.1 Ingredients and dosage 3% boric acid solution 2.2 Administration 3 times daily topically 2.3 Duration of treatment 8 weeks 2.4 Follow up 12 weeks after the 8‐week treatment period ‐ Sesame oil was used for cases with dry skin twice daily for both groups
Outcomes	1. SCORAD score 2. Adverse events Assessments were conducted at baseline and at the end of the 8‐week treatment period 3. Full counts of blood, routine tests of urine and stool, liver and renal function tests, serum IgE level Assessments were conducted at baseline and at the end of the 8‐week treatment period 4. Recurrence rate Assessment was conducted at 12 weeks after the treatment period
Notes	The trial investigator claimed that they included only those who were diagnosed with AD and identified as "dampness‐heat" in Chinese medicine
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Unclear risk	This was not stated
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	This was not stated
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	High risk	This was not stated Comment: The appearance and administration of the 2 interventions were different, so it is unlikely that a blinding method was used
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	This was not stated
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	This was not stated Comment: The numbers of participants randomised and analysed were equivalent. It seems that there were no withdrawals/dropouts in this study
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Unclear risk	There was insufficient information
Other potential sources of bias (use of published validated scoring system )	Low risk	The trial used SCORAD