Article type
Year
Abstract
Background: Acupuncture is generally accepted as a safe intervention when it is administered in appropriate clinical setting by well-educated and experienced practitioners. However, case studies on adverse events (AEs) or complications relevant to acupuncture practice have been published frequently, and recently.
Objectives: In this study, we reviewed observational studies, including case studies and case series, in the Korean literature to assess their reporting quality, and suggest recommendations for future ones on acupuncture-related infections.
Methods: Electronic databases including MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Korean Studies Information Service System (KISS), DBpia, National Digital Science Library (NDSL) and the Korean National Assembly Library were searched up to May 2015. A combination of keywords including 'acupuncture' and 'infection' was used for searching the individual databases.
Results: A total of 23 studies were selected from the 2739 literature articles we identified from the electronic database searches to May 2015. From reviewing the infection cases, we found that most case studies did not report enough information to permit a judgement of causality between acupuncture and the adverse event - as well as appropriateness of the acupuncture practice - to be made. In addition, acupuncture experts rarely participated in the reporting of these acupuncture-related AEs or complications.
Conclusions: Based on these limitations, we suggest a tentative recommendation for future case studies on acupuncture-related infection. We hope that this recommendation will contribute to the improvement of the reporting quality of acupuncture-related AEs (or complications) in the future.
Objectives: In this study, we reviewed observational studies, including case studies and case series, in the Korean literature to assess their reporting quality, and suggest recommendations for future ones on acupuncture-related infections.
Methods: Electronic databases including MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Korean Studies Information Service System (KISS), DBpia, National Digital Science Library (NDSL) and the Korean National Assembly Library were searched up to May 2015. A combination of keywords including 'acupuncture' and 'infection' was used for searching the individual databases.
Results: A total of 23 studies were selected from the 2739 literature articles we identified from the electronic database searches to May 2015. From reviewing the infection cases, we found that most case studies did not report enough information to permit a judgement of causality between acupuncture and the adverse event - as well as appropriateness of the acupuncture practice - to be made. In addition, acupuncture experts rarely participated in the reporting of these acupuncture-related AEs or complications.
Conclusions: Based on these limitations, we suggest a tentative recommendation for future case studies on acupuncture-related infection. We hope that this recommendation will contribute to the improvement of the reporting quality of acupuncture-related AEs (or complications) in the future.