Acupuncture for Relieving Abdominal Pain and Distension in Acute Pancreatitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Fengya Zhu; Shao Yin; Xinyun Zhu; Deya Che; Zimeng Li; Yue Zhong; Hui Yan; Daohui Gan; Lanying Yang; Xiaohan Wu; Liuying Li

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.786401

Acupuncture for Relieving Abdominal Pain and Distension in Acute Pancreatitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Front Psychiatry. 2021 Dec 3:12:786401. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.786401. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Fengya Zhu¹, Shao Yin², Xinyun Zhu³, Deya Che¹, Zimeng Li⁴, Yue Zhong¹, Hui Yan¹, Daohui Gan¹, Lanying Yang¹, Xiaohan Wu¹, Liuying Li¹

Affiliations

¹ Traditional Chinese Medicine Department, Zigong First People's Hospital, Zigong, China.
² Clinical Medical School, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.
³ Traditional Chinese Medicine Department, The People's Hospital of Leshan, Leshan, China.
⁴ Acupuncture and Tuina School, The Third Teaching Hospital, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.

Abstract

Background: Clinical evidence suggests that acupuncture is effective for relieving abdominal pain and distension in acute pancreatitis (AP). However, there is a lack of systematic reviews and meta-analyses that provide high-quality evidence of the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in this context. Aim: To assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for relieving abdominal pain and distension in AP. Methods: We searched the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and China Biomedical Literature databases. Randomized controlled trials of acupuncture plus routine treatment (RT) vs. RT alone or RT plus sham/placebo acupuncture were included. Primary outcomes included total effectiveness rate, VAS scores for abdominal pain and distension, and time until relief of abdominal pain and distension. Secondary outcomes included time until recovery of bowel sound, time until first defecation, length of hospital stay, and APACHE II score. Results: Nineteen eligible original studies (n = 1,503) were included. The results showed that acupuncture in combination with RT had a significant advantage in terms of increasing the total effectiveness rate [risk ratio: 1.15; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06-1.24; P = 0.001]. Acupuncture also reduced the VAS score for abdominal pain [weighted mean difference (WMD): -1.45; 95% CI: -1.71 to -1.19; P < 0.0001] and the VAS score for abdominal distension (WMD: -0.71; 95% CI: -1.04 to -0.37; P < 0.0001) in patients with AP. Other results also showed the efficacy of acupuncture. One study reported adverse events after acupuncture. Conclusion: Acupuncture in combination with RT has a better effect than RT alone for relieving abdominal pain and distension in AP. More rigorous studies are needed to confirm this result. Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO CRD42019147503 (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=147503).

Keywords: abdominal distension; abdominal pain; acupuncture; acute pancreatitis; meta-analysis; systematic review.

Publication types

Systematic Review