Table 4.
Results of Included RCT Ear Acupuncture Studies of Pain Management in the Emergency Setting
| Experimental group | Control group | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First author, year, ref. & condition | Mean age yrs with SD or P-value (% female) | Adverse events from acupuncture | Mean age yrs with SD or P-value (% female) | Adverse events from control intervention | Mean pain score change difference between intervention & control | Bias | Secondary outcomes |
| Allais, 201133 migraines | 35.9; range: 15–60 yrs (100%) | Not specified | 33.2 range: 16–58 yrs (100%) | Not specified | 2.1 | Medium | Nil |
| Barker, 200616 hip fractures | 86.5 ± 4.0 yrs (83%) | Not specified | 86.0 ± 4.8 yrs (90%) | Not specified | 2.8 | Low | Anxiety 38/100 change vs. 3/100; P < 0.001; Lower HR; more satisfied than sham. |
| Goertz, 200631 mixed | 30.4 ± 9.7 yrs (42%) | Not specified | 32.8 ± 7.5 yrs (64%) | Not specified | 2.18 | Medium | No reduction in medication frequency or prescribed usage; cost: $1.52 $USD/patient |
| Gu, 199329 biliary colic | 47 ± 8.8 yrs (53.3%) | Not specified | 42 ± 6.6 yrs (42.7%) | Not specified | Not specified | High | Nil |
| Moss, 201532 sore throat | 34 yrs; P = 0.48 (74%) | Not specified | 31 yrs; P = 0.48 (56%) | Not specified | 3.6 | High | Less medication at 6, 24, 48 h; P < 0.009; no difference in time off work |
| Fox, 201628a low-back pain | Not specified | 2 events: pain at needle site | Not specified | Not specified | Post pain score: 1.7 | High | Ambulation & ROM: improved; leg pain: no significant improvement; LOS: no difference; medication usage: no difference in ED & more opioid prescriptions at discharge with BFA. |
a
Abstract only.
RCT, randomized controlled trial; yrs, years; SD, standard deviation; HR, heart rate; h, hours; ROM, range of movement; LOS, length of stay; ED, emergency department; BFA, Battlefield Acupuncture.