Arno Kroner
Pain is a common complaint in the Emergency Department
(ED) and its management currently relies heavily
on pharmacologic treatment, but evidence suggests that
nonpharmacologic interventions may be beneficial. The
objective of this study is to test the hypothesis that acupuncture
analgesia (AA) can be an effective modality in
the ED that is at least equivalent to standard ED care such
as pharmacological care such as opioids or Non-Steroidal
Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs). If AA is equivalent
to standard ED care can its use also lead to lower ED
pharmacological analgesic use? Methods - A review of
the literature on all types of AA interventions in the ED
with pain reduction as an objective was conducted. Results
- Ten studies met the inclusion criteria for summary
analysis (16 additional studies are included as they provide
background information, context, and rationale).
The type of pain most studied varied from sore throat to
low back pain and acute non-penetrating injuries to the
extremities. Most studies reported at least one improved
outcome after acupuncture treatment.