Background There are few proven treatments for acute spontaneous intracerebral
haemorrhage, and they all target reducing expansion of the haematoma. The traditional
Chinese medicine FYTF-919 (Zhongfeng Xingnao) in an oral solution is comprised of
several Chinese herbs that are widely used to treat patients with intracerebral haemorrhage
in China on the understanding that they enhance resorption of the haematoma and reduce
neuroinflammation. We aimed to provide a reliable assessment of the safety and efficacy of …

A recent Lancet report on the CHAIN trial, which evaluated the use of traditional Chinese
medicine (TCM) FYTF-919 (Zhongfeng Xingnao oral prescription) for moderate to severe
acute intracerebral hemorrhage, concluded there was no effect on functional recovery,
survival or health-related quality of life compared to the placebo. We conducted a critical
appraisal of this report and its supplementary materials using the Participants-Interventions-
Comparisons-Outcomes framework and the CONSORT Extension for Chinese Herbal …