Abstract:Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of Lifei Pingchuan Decoction combined with non-invasive ventilation in treating patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) complicated by type II respiratory failure.Methods Eighty-four patients with AECOPD complicated by type II respiratory failure, who were treated at Changzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from September 2023 to September 2024, were selected and divided into a control group (conventional Western medicine treatment combined with non-invasive ventilation) and an observation group (additional Menghe Medical School's Lifei Pingchuan Decoction) using a random number table method, with 42 cases in each group. After two weeks of treatment, the two groups were compared in terms of traditional Chinese medicine efficacy, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Assessment Test (CAT) scores, modified British Medical Research Council (mMRC) questionnaire scores, lung function [forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), FEV1/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC), and peak expiratory flow (PEF) ], blood gas analysis [arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2), arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2), and oxygenation index], inflammatory markers [interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and C-reactive protein (CRP) ], as well as the duration of mechanical ventilation, length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and annual frequency of acute exacerbations during the treatment period.Results The overall clinical effective rate in the observation group was higher than that in the control group (P 0.05). After treatment, the CAT and mMRC scores in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P 0.05). The differences in CAT and mMRC scores before and after treatment in the observation group were greater than those in the control group (P 0.05). After treatment, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, and PEF in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (P 0.05). The differences in FEV1, FEV1/FVC, and PEF before and after treatment in the observation group were greater than those in the control group (P 0.05). After treatment, PaO2 and the oxygenation index in the observation group were higher than those in the control group, while PaCO2 was lower than that in the control group (P 0.05). The differences in PaO2, PaCO2, and the oxygenation index before and after treatment in the observation group were greater than those in the control group (P 0.05). After treatment, IL-6, IL-8, and CRP levels in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P 0.05). The differences in IL-6, IL-8, and CRP levels before and after treatment in the observation group were greater than those in the control group (P 0.05). The duration of mechanical ventilation and the length of ICU stay in the observation group were shorter than those in the control group, and the number of acute exacerbations within one year was fewer than that in the control group (P 0.05).Conclusion Lifei Pingchuan Decoction combined with non-invasive ventilation can effectively alleviate clinical symptoms, improve lung ventilation function and oxygenation status, reduce systemic inflammatory response, shorten the duration of mechanical ventilation and ICU stay, and lower the long-term risk of acute exacerbations in patients with AECOPD complicated by type II respiratory failure. This integrated Chinese and Western medicine approach is worthy of clinical application.