Ziwu-Liuzhu-guided combined external therapy promotes wound healing in postoperative perianal fistulizing Crohn’s disease

Table 1 Baseline characteristics of perianal fistulizing Crohn’s disease patients in the three treatment groups, mean ± SD/n (%)

Variable	Sitz bath group (n = 72)	Sitz bath plus acupoint application group (n = 69)	Ziwu-Liuzhu time-specific external treatment group (n = 76)	Statistic	P value
Age (years)	34.8 ± 9.1	35.6 ± 8.7	33.9 ± 8.4	F = 0.71	0.493
Male	42 (58.3)	39 (56.5)	44 (57.9)	χ2 = 0.05	0.973
BMI (kg/m2)	21.9 ± 2.6	22.3 ± 2.8	22.1 ± 2.5	F = 0.42	0.66
Smoking history	15 (20.8)	13 (18.8)	15 (19.7)	χ2 = 0.10	0.95
Alcohol consumption	12 (16.7)	11 (15.9)	13 (17.1)	χ2 = 0.05	0.973
Disease duration (months), median IQR	19.0 (12.0-28.0)	18.0 (11.0-27.0)	20.0 (13.0-29.0)	H = 0.86	0.651
Age at diagnosis (years)	31.2 ± 8.6	32.0 ± 8.3	30.7 ± 8.1	F = 0.52	0.596
Previous fistula surgery	21 (29.2)	20 (29.0)	22 (28.9)	χ2 = 0.00	0.999
Number of fistula tracts	1.6 ± 0.7	1.5 ± 0.6	1.6 ± 0.7	F = 0.48	0.62
Complex fistula	31 (43.1)	29 (42.0)	33 (43.4)	χ2 = 0.04	0.981
Preoperative CDAI score	256.4 ± 41.2	252.7 ± 39.6	254.1 ± 40.5	F = 0.16	0.853
Preoperative PDAI score	6.4 ± 1.2	6.3 ± 1.1	6.2 ± 1.2	F = 0.53	0.592
Preoperative VAS score	6.1 ± 1.3	5.9 ± 1.2	6.0 ± 1.3	F = 0.34	0.714
Preoperative GAD-7 score	9.2 ± 2.6	9.0 ± 2.4	9.1 ± 2.5	F = 0.13	0.878
CRP (mg/L)	31.8 ± 8.6	30.6 ± 8.1	31.1 ± 8.4	F = 0.34	0.713
TNF-α (pg/mL)	41.7 ± 9.5	40.9 ± 9.2	41.2 ± 9.4	F = 0.13	0.879
IL-6 (pg/mL)	33.6 ± 8.3	32.8 ± 7.9	33.1 ± 8.0	F = 0.16	0.85
White blood cell count (× 109/L)	8.9 ± 2.1	8.7 ± 2.0	8.8 ± 2.2	F = 0.14	0.867
Hemoglobin (g/L)	118.6 ± 15.2	120.1 ± 14.7	119.5 ± 15.0	F = 0.22	0.804
Albumin (g/L)	37.9 ± 4.5	38.4 ± 4.3	38.1 ± 4.6	F = 0.28	0.758

BMI: Body mass index; IQR: Interquartile range; CDAI: Crohn’s Disease Activity Index; PDAI: Perianal Disease Activity Index; VAS: Visual Analogue Scale; GAD-7: Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale; CRP: C-reactive protein; TNF: Tumor necrosis factor; IL: Interleukin.