Acupuncture for Treatment of Acute Vomiting in Children with Gastroenteritis and Pneumonia

Abstract

Objective:

Acupuncture is successfully used to alleviate vomiting in children after general anesthesia. However there is no data on treatment of vomiting in children with gastroenteritis (GE) and pneumonia (PM).

Methods:

Descriptive analysis of 18 cases, where acupuncture was used as an individual therapy attempt to treat vomiting in children with GE or PM before starting the conventional antiemetic therapy. Feasibility and acceptance by patients and parents as well as the incidence of vomiting and use of antiemetic drugs after acupuncture were recorded.

Results:

Acupuncture was feasible in all children and application of the indwelling needles was tolerated without fear. Side effects were not observed. 13 patients stopped vomiting immediately after the insertion of acupuncture needles, none of the patients required conventional antiemetic medication.

Conclusion:

Acupuncture for the treatment of vomiting is feasible and acceptable. Suggested antiemetic effect should be examined in a randomized multicenter controlled trial.

Zusammenfassung

Hintergrund:

Akupunktur wird bereits erfolgreich eingesetzt, um bei Kindern das Auftreten von Übelkeit und Erbrechen nach Allgemeinanästhesie zu verhindern. Es existieren jedoch noch keine Daten zur Behandlung von Erbrechen im Rahmen von Gastroenteritis (GE) und Pneumonie (PM).

Methoden:

Deskriptive Analyse von 18 Fällen, in welchen Akupunktur als individueller Therapieversuch bei Kindern mit GE oder PM eingesetzt wurde, bevor eine konventionelle antiemetische Therapie begonnen wurde. Durchführbarkeit und Akzeptanz der Akupunkturtherapie, Inzidenz von Erbrechen und Einsatz von Antiemetika wurden erhoben.

Ergebnisse:

Akupunktur konnte bei allen Kindern angewendet werden, und die Applikation der Akupunkturpflaster wurde von den Kindern angstfrei toleriert. Es wurden keine Nebenwirkungen beobachtet. Bei 13 Patienten sistierte das Erbrechen mit dem Beginn der Akupunkturbehandlung, und keiner der Patienten benötigte Antiemetika.

Zusammenfassung:

Akupunktur scheint bei Erbrechen effektiv zu sein und wird von Kindern gut angenommen. Der vermutete antiemetische Effekt sollte im Rahmen einer randomisierten, kontrollierten Multicenterstudie untersucht werden.

Key words

acupuncture - vomiting - children - gastroenteritis - pneumonia - individual therapy attempt

Schlüsselwörter

Akupunktur - Erbrechen - Kindesalter - Gastroenteritis - Pneumonie - individueller Therapieversuch

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