NCT05367986

Electro-acupuncture at Zusanli, Qihai, and Guanyuan Acupoints Regulate Immune Function in Patients With Sepsis

Lectro-acupuncture at Zusanli, Qihai, and Guanyuan Acupoints Regulate Immune Function in Patients With Sepsis

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 78 (actual)
• Sponsor: Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 85 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study was to investigate the biochemical and clinical effects of electro-acupuncture in patients with sepsis.

Detailed description

Patients were randomly divided into an electro-acupuncture (EA) group and a Western medicine group(WM group) using restricted block randomization (1:1 ratio). Patients in the Western medicine group received conventional treatment with Western medicine. According to the International Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock: 2016, conventional treatment includes antibiotics and other anti-infection measures, fluid management, mechanical ventilation, and nutritional support, but did not include the use of immunosuppressants or immune enhancers including hormones, gamma globulin, and thymosin. Patients in the electro-acupuncture group were treated with Western medicine and electro-acupuncture. Electro-acupuncture was given at the Zusanli (ST36), Guanyuan (CV4), and Qihai (CV6) acupoints, twice a day for 30 minutes, and for 5 days in total. The indicators of immune dysfunction including the percentage of T lymphocyte subsets, percentage of natural killer (NK) cells, and serum soluble programed cell death protein (sPD-1) level, and clinical effect including APACHE-II and SOFA score, whole blood analysis, levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and C-reactive protein (CRP), were determined before treatment and after treatment for 5 days.

Conditions

• Sepsis
• Immune Dysfunction

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	electro-acupuncture	Electro-acupuncture was given at the Zusanli (ST36), Guanyuan (CV4), and Qihai (CV6) acupoints, twice a day for 30 minutes, and for 5 days in total. 1. Acupoints were selected as follows. (1) Zusanli (ST36) belongs to zuyangming stomach meridian. It is located on the anterolateral part of the lower leg 3 inches (4 horizontal fingers) below the eye of the external knee between the fibula and the tibia, and a horizontal finger (middle finger) width from the front edge of the tibia. (2) Guan yuan (CV4) is located 3 inches below the umbilicus, on the midline of the abdomen. (3) Qihai (CV6) is located 1.5 inches below the umbilicus on the midline. 2. Acupuncture and electro-acupuncture methods were performed as follows. Participants were in the supine position, and needles was inserted in the skin . After the participant has acid, numbness, swelling, pain or other feelings, the electro-acupuncture device was connect to the acupuncture needle, the frequency was set to continuous wave.

Timeline

• Start date: 2019-07-01
• Primary completion: 2021-02-28
• Completion: 2022-01-30
• First posted: 2022-05-10
• Last updated: 2022-05-10

Locations

1 site across 1 country: China