People・Discovery
HKBU has nurtured over 140,000 graduates since its inception in 1956 and numerous alumni have in the past made notable achievements in diverse areas and professions. In this connection, we are pleased to introduce alumni from different professions and invite them to share their knowledge discovery with us.
Alumnus Dr Derrick Lam Shares Chinese Medicine Remedy for Long COVID
Alumnus Dr Derrick Lam
Alumnus Dr Derrick Lam (Chinese Medicine) graduated from HKBU with two degrees, Bachelor of Chinese Medicine and Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Biomedical Science (double-degree programme) plus a Master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences in Chinese Medicine. He also obtained a Doctorate degree in Chinese Medicine at the Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine.
Alumnus Dr Lam is not only a Chinese Medicine practitioner, but also a part-time lecturer at the School of Chinese Medicine of HKBU. Besides clinical consultation and teaching, alumnus Lam has been actively involved in the development of Chinese medicine and the Electronic Health Record Sharing System (eHR) in Hong Kong. He also takes time out to serve the community, taking up several positions in public services. He has been appointed by the HKSAR Government as member of Chinese Medicines Industry Subcommittee under Chinese Medicine Development Committee, appointed member of several eHR Domain Groups of the Hospital Authority Chinese Medicine Department and Chief Pharmacist’s Office, Executive Vice-President of Hong Kong Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Provost of Affiliate College of Hong Kong Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Deputy Secretary of Sin-Hua Herbalists’ & Herb Dealers’ Promotion Society.
To help combat the pandemic, alumnus Lam has participated in the Hospital Authority’s Chinese Medicine Services for Residential Care Homes for the Elderly programme and the “Fight the Virus Together – Chinese Medicine Telemedicine Scheme” led by the Federation of HK Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Chinese Medicines Traders Association. He has also been invited by the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups to give an online sharing on Long COVID recently.
(The following content is only available in Chinese.)
Alumnus Dr Lam supports the development of Chinese medicine and the Electronic Health Record Sharing System in Hong Kong.
1. 中醫如何診斷「長新冠」後遺症？哪方面對新冠肺炎康復者的影響最大？
第五波新冠肺炎疫情下本地確診宗數已累積過百萬宗，有患者康復後出現「新冠肺炎長期綜合後遺症 (Post COVID-19 condition)」（簡稱「長新冠 (Long COVID)」症狀。世界衛生組織（WHO）去年10月公佈臨床定義：「這種症狀通常發生在確診者或曾被新冠病毒感染的人士身上，通常在染疫後3個月內出現，徵狀持續至少2個月，並且無法由其他診斷解釋由來」。就臨床所見，感染2019冠狀病毒病檢測轉陰性後，康復期間常見病徵包括呼吸道症狀如下：持續或反覆咳嗽、痰黏、咽乾丶咽痛丶咽癢，或有胃腸道症狀如腹脹、胃口差，大便溏或易腹瀉；又患者或出現如下精神症狀：常感焦慮、緊張、心慌、心悸、睡眠差、難以入睡、半夜易醒、精神差、集中力差、記性差；部分患者還可以出現嗅覺或味覺減退、氣短、眩暈、頭痛、肌肉痛、皮膚出疹、盜汗、自汗、視力模糊、眼睛瘙癢；育齡女性可出現月經失調。
大部分長新冠患者均感疲倦、體能轉差、思維變慢，導致工作效率下降。利用中醫藥進行調理，可改善相關症狀之餘，更能改善體質，從而促進復元。
2. 針對「長新冠」，中醫建議新冠肺炎康復者應如何調理身體？請舉出日常生活需要注意的地方？
一旦感染2019冠狀病毒病，無論在發病期間或檢測已轉為陰性而處於康復期，尤須注意飲食，保持居所空氣流通，多休息。《內經》說：「正氣存內，邪不可干」，意思就是只要身體正氣充足，邪氣就不容易侵犯，同時強調：「虛邪賊風，避之有時」，意思就是儘管人體正氣充沛，遇到病邪時，還是需要留神警惕，避之則吉，方為上策。
就扶助正氣而言，起居方面，宜保持室內空氣流通，冷氣溫度不宜調至過低，減少出席公共場所的活動；作息定時，早睡早起，避免遭雨弄濕身體及過度疲勞，做適量運動使身體微微出汗，舒展陽氣，讓陽氣充分發揮防衛的功能；飲食方面，講究飲食均衡，清淡節制，避免進食煎炸、辛辣、燥熱、生冷及肥膩食物，切忌暴飲暴食，保持胃腸清靈；情緒方面，宜保持心境平靜，避免過度思慮，注意情志養生，不要導至情緒過分激烈而損傷「臟氣」。如此保養正氣，可防邪氣入侵。
根據筆者的經驗，常用於新冠康復者的中醫方藥如下：
- 杞菊地黃丸：屬補益劑，出自《麻疹全書》．即六味地黃丸（熟地黃、山茱萸、乾山藥、澤瀉、牡丹皮、茯苓）加枸杞子、菊花，能「滋腎養肝明目」，能針對兩目昏花，視物模糊，眼睛乾澀屬「肝腎陰虛」者。
- 藿香正氣散：屬祛濕劑，出自《太平惠民和劑局方》，以廣藿香為君藥，配伍大腹皮、白芷、紫蘇、茯苓、半夏曲、白朮、陳皮、薑厚朴、桔梗、炙甘草，能「解表化濕，理氣和中」，適用於惡寒發熱，頭痛，胸膈滿悶，脘腹疼痛，噁心嘔吐，腸鳴泄瀉，舌苔色白厚膩屬於「外感風寒，內傷濕滯」者。
- 此外，還包括具有益氣健脾、燥濕化痰功效的六君子湯；辛涼透表、清熱解毒的銀翹散；宣利肺氣、疏風止咳的止嗽散；發汗解表、散風祛濕的荊防敗毒散；和解少陽的小柴胡湯及具有清養肺胃、生津潤燥作用的沙參麥冬湯等。
Alumnus Dr Lam conducts teleconsultation.
3. 由於疫情的關係，遙距診症模式應運而生。請分享中醫如何透過遙距診症保證醫療質素和醫療安全？市民於求診時有什麼需要留意的事項？
中醫重視四診合參，透過望、聞、問、切 (inspecting, listening and smelling, questioning and palpating)，按照病人的年齡、性別、職業、體質強弱之不同，同時參考季節氣候特點、病邪的屬性和感染力的強弱，判斷病人的病情及病勢；並根據患者發病的緩急輕重，作出最佳的治療方案。
遙距診症側重精準的望診和全面的問診。如情況許可，盡量為醫師提供面部及舌象相片各一。若以手機拍攝的話，相片清晰要點如下：面向自然充足的光線，不背光，不開美圖功能，點按屏幕一下對好焦才按下快門。對話前，宜主動為醫師提供所需資料，包括病史、手術史、中西藥物敏感史，以至正在服用的藥物清單；此外，接種新冠疫苗的劑數及接種日期；確診新冠肺炎或首次轉陰日期等基本資料，亦屬需要，好讓醫師能有效掌握患者的病情及身體狀況，有助提高診療的成效。
