Table 3.
Physicians’ knowledge of hypoglycaemia identification and TCM differentiation treatment (n (%))
| Categories | Overall (n=1150) |
Physicians in different level hospitals | |||
| Tertiary care hospital physicians (n=461) |
Secondary care hospital physicians (n=307) |
Primary care practitioners (n=382) |
P value | ||
| The characteristics of hypoglycaemia including: | |||||
| a. Blood glucose <3.9 mmol/L | 1045 (90.9) | 409 (88.7) | 282 (91.9) | 354 (92.7) | 0.110 |
| b. Hypoglycaemia without a specific blood glucose limit, accompanied by serious events involving changes in consciousness and/or physical condition | 788 (68.5) | 336 (72.9) | 223 (72.6) | 229 (60.0) | <0.001 |
| c. Symptoms of sympathetic excitement such as palpitations, anxiety, sweating, dizziness, hand tremors and feelings of hunger | 1124 (97.7) | 453 (98.3) | 304 (99.0) | 367 (96.1) | 0.022 |
| d. Central nervous system symptoms such as changes in mental status, cognitive impairment, convulsions and coma | 1013 (88.1) | 424 (92.0) | 289 (94.1) | 300 (78.5) | <0.001 |
| Accuracy rate (all above option) | 682 (59.3) | 293 (63.6) | 200 (65.2) | 189 (49.5) | <0.001 |
| Prescriptions for diabetes with Qi-Yin deficiency syndrome | |||||
| a. Shenqi Jiangtang granule | 931 (81.0) | 370 (80.3) | 256 (83.4) | 305 (79.8) | 0.443 |
| b. Jinlida granule | 507 (44.1) | 221 (47.9) | 157 (51.1) | 129 (33.8) | <0.001 |
| c. Shengmai Powder | 616 (53.6) | 270 (58.6) | 150 (48.9) | 196 (51.3) | 0.017 |
| d. Gegen Qinlian decoction | 143 (12.4) | 51 (11.1) | 37 (12.1) | 55 (14.4) | 0.335 |
| e. Dachaihu decoction | 63 (5.5) | 27 (5.9) | 16 (5.2) | 20 (5.2) | 0.899 |
| Accuracy rate (choosing ‘a, b or c’ without ‘d or e’) | 981 (85.3) | 397 (86.1) | 265 (86.3) | 319 (83.5) | 0.477 |
| Prescriptions or interventions for diabetic neuropathy with Qi-deficiency and collateral-obstruction syndrome | |||||
| a. Mudan granule | 608 (52.9) | 281 (61.0) | 170 (55.4) | 157 (41.1) | <0.001 |
| b. Acupuncture | 510 (44.4) | 216 (46.9) | 134 (43.7) | 160 (41.9) | 0.337 |
| c. TCM fumigation | 650 (56.5) | 282 (61.2) | 179 (58.3) | 189 (49.5) | 0.002 |
| d. Qiming granule | 422 (36.7) | 145 (31.5) | 105 (34.2) | 172 (45.0) | <0.001 |
| Accuracy rate (choosing ‘a, b or c’ without ‘d’) | 728 (63.3) | 316 (68.6) | 202 (65.8) | 210 (55.0) | <0.001 |
TCM, traditional Chinese medicine.