Objective  To collect and analyze outpatient prescription data for exogenous cough treatment from a hospital in Shenzhen, and to identify the characteristics and medication patterns of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

Methods This study collected prescriptions from a hospital in Shenzhen for exogenous cough treatment in January 2024. R language for data mining were used to analyze the medication frequency, clustering patterns, and association rules in the treatment of exogenous cough by TCM and to explore the medication patterns and the usage of classic formulas in TCM for this condition.

Results  A total of 451 outpatient prescriptions for exogenous cough were include, the top ten most frequently used herbs were Licorice, Bitter almond, Bellflower, Ephedra, Tangerine peel, Stemonae radix, Tuckahoe, Pinellia ternata, Nepeta, Bulb of thunberg fritillary. Cluster analysis and association rules revealed that San'ao decoction, Kikyodon soup, and Zhisou powder were commonly prescribed, targeting lung function, dispersing wind, and resolving phlegm to effectively alleviate cough symptoms. Significant differences in medication usage were observed across different syndrome types. For the wind cold attacking lung pattern, the core herbs were warm in nature and focused on dispersing with acrid-warm properties. Conversely, the treatment of wind heat attacking the lung pattern typically involved cold-natured herbs, with a primary focus on clearing and draining lung heat. Stratification by age revealed that the pediatric group often used drugs with mild properties, such as Stemona and Shegan. The young adult group tended to be prescribed cold-natured drugs like Forsythia and Hogfonnel Root. The middle-aged and elderly group preferred warming and tonifying drugs such as Japanese Catnip and Perilla frutescens.

Conclusion  The TCM treatment of exogenous cough primarily focuses on releasing the exterior and dispersing the lung. Due to the region's subtropical monsoon climate and temperature fluctuations physicians flexibly modified classical formulas such as San'ao decoction and Zhisou powder according to individual constitutions and symptom patterns. This targeted, syndrome-based approach effectively disperses the lung qi, stops cough and transforms phlegm, and alleviates cough.

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