The Effectiveness of Acupuncture for Complications in Critically Ill Patients

Introduction:

Intensive care unit (ICU) is a special department in the health care facility. Although with high development of modern medicine nowadays, the average mortality rate in ICU is still around 7 to 20 %. There are a few tricky problems that intensivists and ICU nurses faced very often, including ICU delirium, arrhythmia and poor digestion problem that will all affect the mortality and morbidity rate of critical care patients.

Methods: A randomized control trial will examine the effect of press tack acupuncture vs. press tack placebos. The patients will be randomly divided (1:1) into one of two groups. A total of 80 ICU patients will have to meet the following criteria: age 20-90, newly ICU admission(\<48 hours), APACHE score \<30, one or no inotropic medicine use, FiO2\< 60%. Three interventions will be given in each group. The main outcomes will be the incidence of arrhythmia, delirium, and poor digestion and the severity of pain. We will also record ICU mortality, ICU stays and hospital days.

Introduction:

Intensive care unit (ICU) is a special department in the health care facility. Although with high development of modern medicine nowadays, the average mortality rate in ICU is still around 7 to 20 %. There are a few tricky problems that intensivists and ICU nurses faced very often, including ICU delirium, arrhythmia and poor digestion problem that will all affect the mortality and morbidity rate of critical care patients.

Methods: A randomized control trial will examine the effect of press tack acupuncture vs. press tack placebos. The patients will be randomly divided (1:1) into one of two groups. A total of 80 ICU patients will have to meet the following criteria: age 20-90, newly ICU admission(\<48 hours), APACHE score \<30, one or no inotropic medicine use, FiO2\< 60%. Three interventions will be given in each group. The main outcomes will be the incidence of arrhythmia, delirium, and poor digestion and the severity of pain. We will also record ICU mortality, ICU stays and hospital days.

Expected outcome: The study finding will help to determine the therapeutic effect of acupuncture for ICU complications.

Other information: This study will be conducted in the ICU departments of China medical hospital and Asia University Hospital, Taichung city, Taiwan. The study is conducted on stable ICU patients and we don't anticipate any serious risk for adverse events following the intervention.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

* Age 20--90

  * newly ICU admission (\<48 hours)
  * APACHE score \<30
  * Less than 3 inotropic medicine use
  * Fi02\< 60%.

Exclusion Criteria:

* • Coagulopathy: Prolong Prothrombin Time (PPT) activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (aPTT) more than 4 times

  * Thrombocytopenia - low platelet count
  * Clinically unstable: receiving two or more inotropic agents or Fraction of Inspired Oxygen (Fi02) \>60%
  * Primary central nervous system disorder: stroke, traumatic brain injury, central nervous system infections, brain tumors, recent intracranial surgery
  * Already under other traditional medicine intervention during hospitalization
  * Skin damage of more than 20% of the body skin.