Appendix 1. CENTRAL search strategy

1 MeSH descriptor: [Astragalus Plant] explode all trees

2 Astraga*

3 MeSH descriptor: [Astragalus membranaceus] explode all trees

4 Huang Qi

5 Huangqi

6 Milkvetch

7 #1 OR #2 OR #3 OR #4 OR #5 OR #6

8 MeSH descriptor: [Drugs, Chinese Herbal] explode all trees

9 MeSH descriptor: [Medicine, East Asian Traditional] explode all trees

10 MeSH descriptor: [Phytotherapy] explode all trees

11 MeSH descriptor: [Herbal Medicine] explode all trees

12 MeSH descriptor: [Plants, Medicinal] explode all trees

13 MeSH descriptor: [Plant Preparations] explode all trees

14 (Chinese) AND ((Prescription*) OR (Preparation*) OR (extract*) OR (herb*) OR (medicin*) OR (drug*) OR (plant*) OR (botanical*))

15 #8 OR #9 OR #10 OR #11 OR #12 OR #13 OR #14

16 MeSH descriptor: [Respiratory Tract Infections] explode all trees

17 (acute OR upper OR lower) AND ((respiratory infection*) OR (respiratory tract infection*))

18 (pharyngit*) OR (tracheit*) OR (bronchit*) OR (pneumon*)

19 (common cold*) OR (coryza) OR (influenza*) OR (flu) OR (otitis media*) OR (sinusit*) OR (tonsillit*) OR (laryngit*) OR (pharyngit*) OR (bronchit*) OR (pneumon*) OR (sore throat*) OR (sneez*) OR (cough*) OR ((nasal or nose) AND (congest* or discharg*))

20 #16 OR #17 OR #18 OR #19

21 #15 and #20

22 #7 OR #21

Appendix 2. MEDLINE (Ovid) search strategy

1 exp Astragalus Plant/

2 Astragal*.mp.

3 "A. membranaceus".mp.

4 "huang qi".mp.

5 huangqi.mp.

6 vetch.mp.

7 or/1‐6

8 Drugs, Chinese Herbal/

9 exp Medicine, East Asian Traditional/

10 Phytotherapy/

11 Herbal Medicine/

12 Plants, Medicinal/

13 plant preparations/ or plant extracts/

14 (chinese adj5 (herb* or medicin* or drug* or plant* or botanical*)).mp.

15 or/8‐14

16 exp Respiratory Tract Infections/

17 ((acute or upper or lower) adj2 (respiratory infection* or respiratory tract infection*)).mp.

18 (pharyngit* or tracheit* or bronchit* or pneumon*).mp.

19 (common cold* or coryza or influenza* or flu or otitis media* or sinusit* or tonsillit* or laryngit* or pharyngit* or bronchit* or pneumon* or sore throat* or sneez* or cough* or ((nasal or nose) adj2 (congest* or discharg*))).mp.

20 or/16‐19

21 15 and 20

22 7 or 21

23 randomized controlled trial.pt.

24 controlled clinical trial.pt.

25 randomized.ab.

26 placebo.ab.

27 clinical trials as topic.sh.

28 randomly.ab.

29 trial.ti.

30 or/23‐29

31 exp animals/ not humans.sh.

32 30 not 31

33 22 and 32

Appendix 3. Embase (Elsevier) search strategy

1 Astragalus (plant)'/exp

2 Astragal*

3 "A. membranaceus"

4 "huang qi"

5 "huangqi"

6 vetch

7 #1 OR #2 OR #3 OR #4 OR #5 OR #6

8 Chinese herb'/exp

9 oriental medicine'/exp

10 phytotherapy'/exp

11 'herbal medicine'/exp

12 medicinal plant'/exp

13 ('plant medicinal product'/exp) or ('plant extract'/exp)

14 chinese NEXT/5 (herb* or medicin* or drug* or plant* or botanical*)

15 #8 OR #9 OR #10 OR #11 OR #12 OR #13 OR #14

16 respiratory tract infection'/exp

17 respiratory AND infection* OR (respiratory AND tract AND infection*)

18 pharyngit* or tracheit* or bronchit* or pneumon*

19 common cold* or coryza or influenza* or flu or otitis media* or sinusit* or tonsillit* or laryngit* or pharyngit* or bronchit* or pneumon* or sore throat* or sneez* or cough* or ((nasal or nose) NEXT/2 (congest* or discharg*))

20 #16 AND #17 AND #18 AND #19

21 #15 and #20

22 #7 or #21

23 [randomized controlled trial]/lim

24 [controlled clinical trial]/lim

25 randomized:ab

26 placebo:ab

27 clinical trial (topic)'/exp

28 randomly:ab

29 trial:ti

30 #23 OR #24 OR #25 OR #26 OR #27 OR #28 OR #29

31 animal'/exp not 'human'/exp

32 #30 not #31

33 #22 and #32

Appendix 4. AMED (Ovid) search strategy

1 exp Astragalus Plant/

2 Astragal*.mp.

3 "A. membranaceus".mp.

4 "huang qi".mp.

5 huangqi.mp.

6 vetch.mp.

7 or/1‐6

8 Drugs, Chinese Herbal/

9 exp Medicine, East Asian Traditional/

10 Phytotherapy/

11 Herbal Medicine/

12 Plants, Medicinal/

13 plant preparations/ or plant extracts/

14 (chinese adj5 (herb* or medicin* or drug* or plant* or botanical*)).mp.

15 or/8‐14

16 exp Respiratory Tract Infections/

17 ((acute or upper or lower) adj2 (respiratory infection* or respiratory tract infection*)).mp.

18 (pharyngit* or tracheit* or bronchit* or pneumon*).mp.

19 (common cold* or coryza or influenza* or flu or otitis media* or sinusit* or tonsillit* or laryngit* or pharyngit* or bronchit* or pneumon* or sore throat* or sneez* or cough* or ((nasal or nose) adj2 (congest* or discharg*))).mp.

20 or/16‐19

21 15 and 20

22 7 or 21

23 randomized controlled trial.pt.

24 controlled clinical trial.pt.

25 randomized.ab.

26 placebo.ab.

27 clinical trials as topic.sh.

28 randomly.ab.

29 trial.ti.

30 or/23‐29

31 exp animals/ not humans.sh.

32 30 not 31

33 22 and 32

Appendix 5. CNKI search strategy

SU=("呼吸道感染"+"感冒"+"流感"+"喉炎"+"咽炎"+"肺炎"+"肺部感染"+"鼻炎"+"鼻窦炎"+"扁桃体炎"+"气管炎"+"结核"+"百日咳") AND SU=("黄芪"+"北芪"+"黄耆"+"北耆") AND SU=("临床观察"+"临床评估"+"临床试验"+"临床效果"+"临床研究"+"疗效"+"评价研究"+"前瞻性"+"随访"+"对比研究"+"多中心"+"随机"+"对照"+"病例报告"+"病例研究"+"病例分析"+"病例报道")

Appendix 6. CQVIP search strategy

题名或关键词

M(题名或关键词)=(呼吸道感染+感冒+流感+喉炎+咽炎+肺炎+肺部感染+鼻炎+鼻窦炎+扁桃体炎+气管炎+结核+百日咳)*(黄芪+北芪+黄耆+北耆)*(临床观察+临床评估+临床试验+临床效果+临床研究+疗效+评价研究+前瞻性+随访+对比研究+多中心+随机+对照+病例报告+病例研究+病例分析+病例报道)

文摘

R(文摘)=(呼吸道感染+感冒+流感+喉炎+咽炎+肺炎+肺部感染+鼻炎+鼻窦炎+扁桃体炎+气管炎+结核+百日咳)*(黄芪+北芪+黄耆+北耆)*(临床观察+临床评估+临床试验+临床效果+临床研究+疗效+评价研究+前瞻性+随访+对比研究+多中心+随机+对照+病例报告+病例研究+病例分析+病例报道)

Appendix 7. CBM search strategy

#1：(((((("呼吸道感染"[常用字段:智能]) OR "感冒"[常用字段:智能]) OR "流感"[常用字段:智能]) OR "喉炎"[常用字段:智能]) OR "咽炎"[常用字段:智能]) OR "肺炎"[常用字段:智能]) OR "肺部感染"[常用字段:智能]

#2：((((("鼻炎"[常用字段:智能]) OR "鼻窦炎"[常用字段:智能]) OR "扁桃体炎"[常用字段:智能]) OR "气管炎"[常用字段:智能]) OR "结核"[常用字段:智能]) OR "百日咳"[常用字段:智能]

#3：(#2) OR (#1)

#4：((("黄芪"[常用字段:智能]) OR "北芪"[常用字段:智能]) OR "黄耆"[常用字段:智能]) OR "北耆"[常用字段:智能]

#5：((((((("临床观察"[常用字段:智能]) OR "临床评估"[常用字段:智能]) OR "临床试验"[常用字段:智能]) OR "临床效果"[常用字段:智能]) OR "临床研究"[常用字段:智能]) OR "疗效"[常用字段:智能]) OR "评价研究"[常用字段:智能]) OR "前瞻性"[常用字段:智能]

#6：(((((((("随访"[常用字段:智能]) OR "对比研究"[常用字段:智能]) OR "多中心"[常用字段:智能]) OR "随机"[常用字段:智能]) OR "对照"[常用字段:智能]) OR "病例报告"[常用字段:智能]) OR "病例研究"[常用字段:智能]) OR "病例分析"[常用字段:智能]) OR "病例报道"[常用字段:智能]

#7：(#6) OR (#5)

#8：(#7) AND (#4) AND (#3)

Appendix 8. Wanfang search strategy

主题词

主题：("呼吸道感染"+"感冒"+"流感"+"喉炎"+"咽炎"+"肺炎"+"肺部感染"+"鼻炎"+"鼻窦炎"+"扁桃体炎"+"气管炎"+"结核"+"百日咳") AND 主题:("黄芪"+"北芪"+"黄耆"+"北耆") AND 主题:("临床观察"+"临床评估"+"临床试验"+"临床效果"+"临床研究"+"疗效"+"评价研究"+"前瞻性"+"随访"+"对比研究"+"多中心"+"随机"+"对照"+"病例报告"+"病例研究"+"病例分析"+"病例报道")