Recent clinical trials of acupuncture in the west: Responses from the practitioners

In the West,hundreds of randomized controlled trials（RCTs）have been performed testing acupuncture.They include two types：those that compare acupuncture to other therapies,usual care or no treatment（pragmatic trials）,and those that have placebo controls（efficacy trials）.Acupuncture has generally performed well against other therapies or no treatment,but until recently,the evidence from placebo controlled trials has been considered equivocal or contradictory.A recent series of large RCTs,mostly performed in Germany and also in the US have included both pragmatic and placebo comparisons.The evidence poises a conundrum for the profession of acupuncture.This essay first describes the two types of RCTs used to examine acupuncture and examine the results of two recent large RCTs for chronic low back pain as representative examples of recent large studies.The essay then presents the most common Euro-American acupuncture professions＇ interpretation of these results.Western responses have included：（1）methodological weaknesses; （2）inappropriateness of placebo controls; （3）questions as to whether acupuncture placebo controls are＂inert＂; （4）rejection of evidence-based medicine epistemology; （5）discrepancy between acupuncture performed in RCTs with real world acupuncture; （6）enhanced placebo effects of acupuncture; and（7）needs to re-evaluate acupuncture theory.The authors do not necessarily agree with all of these responses; they are presented in an attempt to foster critical discussion.The paper also looks at recent neuroimaging experiments on acupuncture that may point to some worthwhile new avenues of investigation.Finally,the Euro-American health care policy consequences of these recent RCTs are discussed.     

Chemotherapy with or without gefitinib in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: a meta-analysis of 6844 patients

Background Gefitinib is widely used in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer （NSCLC）, in whom chemotherapy had failed. Previous trials reported inconsistent findings regarding the efficacy of gefitinib on overall survival （OS） and progression free survival （PFS）. This study was to evaluate the effects of chemotherapy plus gefitinib versus chemotherapy alone on survival of patients with NSCLC. Methods We systematically searched Medline, EmBase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, reference lists of articles, and proceedings of major meetings for relevant literature. Randomized controlled trials （RCTs） comparing chemotherapy with and without gefitinib in the treatment of patients with advanced NSCLC were included in our analysis. The primary endpoints were OS and PFS. Results Of 182 relevant studies, 12 were included in the final analysis, which consisted of 6844 patients with NSCLC. Overall, we noted that gefitinib therapy had an 8% improvement in the OS as compared to the gefitinib-free therapy, but this difference was not statistically significant （HR, 0.92; 95% CI： 0.85-1.00; P=0.051）. Furthermore, gefitinib therapy had significantly longer PFS compared to gefitinib-free therapy （HR, 0.72; 95% CI 0.60-0.87, P=0.001）. Patients receiving gefitinib therapy also had a more frequent objective response rate （ORR） than the control arm （OR, 2.51; 95% CI, 1.67- 3.78, P 〈0.001）. Rashes, diarrhea, dry skin, pruritus, paronychia, and abnormal hepatic function were more frequent in the gefitinib therapy group. Conclusions Treatment with gefitinib had a clear effect on PFS and ORR, and it might contribute considerably to the OS. Furthermore, there was some evidence of benefit for gefitinib therapy among patients with adenocarcinoma.     

Polymorphism of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene is associated with response to fluorouracil-based chemotherapy in Chinese patients with gastric cancer

Background The importance of polymorphisms in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase （MTHFR） gene for the prediction of the response to fluorouracil-based adjuvant chemotherapy in gastric cancer patients remains unclear. The aim of this study is to assess the predictive value of several polymorphisms of the MTHFR gene for clinical outcomes of gastric cancer patients treated with fluorouracil-based adjuvant chemotherapy in Chinese population. Methods Three hundred and sixty-two Chinese patients with gastric cancer were treated with fluorouracil-based adjuvant chemotherapy. DNA samples were isolated from peripheral blood collected before treatment. The three single nucleotide polymorphisms （SNPs） （rs1801131, rs1801133, rs2274976） genotypes of the MTHFR gene were determined by matrix- assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry （MALDI-TOF MS）. Results The average response rate for chemotherapy was 46.7%. Homozygous genotypes rs2274976G/G （X2=22.7, P 〈0.01） and rs1801131A/A （X2=14.3, P=0.008） were over-represented in responsive patients. Carriers of the rs2274976A allele genotypes （G/A and A/A） and of the rs1801131C allele genotypes （A/C and C/C）were prevalent in nonresponsive patients. In the haplotype association analysis, there was a significant difference in global haplotype distribution between the groups （X2=20.69, P=0.000 124）. Conclusions These results suggest that polymorphisms of the MTHFR gene may be used as predictors of the response to fluorouracil-based chemotherapy for gastric cancer patients in Chinese population. Well-designed, comprehensive, and prospective studies on determining these polymorphisms of MTHFR gene as clinical markers for predicting the response to fluorouracil-based therapy in gastric cancer patients is warranted.     

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy of cisplatin and fluorouracil regimen in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a meta-analysis

Background The benefit of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the management of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas （HNSCC） still remains controversial. The aim of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the role of the neoadjuvant chemotherapy with the cisplatin and fluororacil （PF） regimen in enhancing the overall survival of and decreasing Iocoregional relapse and distant metastasis in HNSCC patients. Methods Medline and manual searches were performed to identify all published randomized controlled trials （RCTs） investigating the efficacy of the neoadjuvant chemotherapy with the PF regimen. Outcomes assessed by meta-analysis included Iocoregional relapse, distant metastasis, and overall survival. The odds ratio was the principle measurement of effect, which was calculated as the treatment group （chemotherapy plus Iocoregional treatment） versus the control group （Iocoregional treatment alone） and was presented as a point estimate with 95% confidence intervals （CI）. Results Eight RCTs were adopted for analysis. The meta-analysis showed that the odds ratio for the Jocoregional relapse was 0.92 （0.70-1.22, 95%CI）, which was not statistically significant. The odds ratios for distant metastasis and overall survival were 0.47 （0.33-0.68, 95% CI） and 1.28 （1.01-1.62, 95% CI） respectively, which were both statistically significant. Conclusions Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with the PF regimen in HNSCC patients has no effect on Iocoregional relapse. However, it shows a small but significant benefit in reducing distant metastasis and improving the overall survival.     

Efficacy and safety of first-line chemotherapy plus bevacizumab in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis

Background What benefits and toxicities patients acquire from the use of bevacizumab combined with first-line chemotherapy remains controversial.This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of first-line chemotherapy plus bevacizumab in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer （mCRC）.Methods Several databases,including PubMed,Embase,and Cochrane Library,were searched up to April 30,2013.Eligible studies were only randomized,controlled trials （RCTs） with a direct comparison between mCRC patients treated with and without bevacizumab.Overall risk ratio （RR）,hazard ratio （HR）,odds ratio （OR）,and 95％ confidence intervals （CO were calculated employing fixed or random-effects models depending on the heterogeneity of the included trials.Results Six RCTs,including 1582 patients in chemotherapy plus bevacizumab group and 1484 patients in chemotherapyalone group,were included.Overall,the addition of bevacizumab to first-line chemotherapy increased overall response rate （ORR） by 4.5％,prolonged both progression-free survival （PFS） and overall survival （OS）,and increased the rate of total Grades 3 or 4 adverse events （G3/4AEs） by 6.9％.Significant differences were found in ORR （RR=1.22 （95％ CI 1.01-1.46）,P=0.03）,PFS （HR=0.60 （95％ Cl 0.47-0.77）,P ＜0.0001）,OS （HR=0.83 （95％ Cl 0.70-0.97）,P=0.02）,and any G3/4AEs （OR=1.56 （95％ Cl 1.29-1.89）,P ＜0.00001）.Conclusion Bevacizumab is a valuable addition to the current first-line chemotherapy regimens used in patients with mCRC,because of conferring a significant improvement in ORR,PFS,and OS,even though it increased adverse events.     

Nursing of advanced colorectal cancer patients treated with Cetuximab combined with chemotherapy

Cetuximab is a new medication that has recently been approved for the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer. To date we have had little experience in using this targeted agent. Eleven patients in our hospital with advanced colorectal cancer were treated with cetuximab and chemotherapy. Based on the curative effect of this combination therapy, we have concluded that the following nursing practices make an important contribution to the patients＇ prognosis and wellbeing： to establish a good nurse-patient relationship, to increase patient understanding of the side effects, to standardize the medications, to observe and to deal with the side effects of the medications（for example skin reaction, neutropenia, and diarrhea）, and to provide continuous mental health care support and education.     

Living conditions and palliative care needs among end-of-life former commercial plasma donors affected with HIV/AIDS in rural Henan of China

Objective China began providing antiretroviral therapy to people living with HIV/AIDS （PLWHA） in 2003. This study was to investigate the living conditions, including quality of life and happiness, and need for palliative care of end-of-life PLWHA in rural Henan. Methods One hundred end-of-life AIDS patients were selected from Weishi, Zhenping and Tanghe counties in Henan, using convenience sampling. The World Health Organization Quality of Life for HIV （WHOQOL-HIV） BREF Chinese Version was used to measure the quality of life and the Memorial University of Newfoundland Scale of Happiness （MUNSH） was employed to measure subjective welfare. Qualitative interviews and focus group discussions were undertaken to learn about the palliative care provided and the specific needs of the end-of-life patients. Results Patients’ overall quality of life was moderate （12.62±1.97）. Highest scores were in the spirituality/religion/personal beliefs, higher than the average scores in the Chinese population （P0.01）, while psychological （13.58±2.06） and environment （12.50±3.28） domain scores were similar to the latter （P0.05）. Both independence （12.15±2.15） and physiological （14.04±3.16） domain scores were lower than the average of the people living with HIV/AIDS in other studies （P0.01）; however, all were in the moderate range. The average MUNSH score was 21.00±6.20, which was also moderate. The in-depth interviews indicated that the Henan Provincial Government’s policy of treatment and care had a beneficial impact on end-of-life AIDS patients, although the care components could be improved. Conclusions Living conditions of the end-of-life AIDS patients were moderate, and the HIV/AIDS palliative care model used was beneficial to them. Care could be improved by assisting the family unit as a whole.     

Shenqi Fuzheng Injection(参芪扶正注射液) for Advanced Gastric Cancer:A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

Objective:To evaluate the effectiveness of Shenqi Fuzheng Injection(参芪扶正注射液,SFI)combined with chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer.Methods:Randomized controlled trials(RCTs) from10 databases were searched for this meta-analysis till December 31,2012 without language restriction.Grey literature and potential unpublished literature was also searched.The key search terms were "chemotherapy","Shenqi Fuzheng Injection" and "advanced gastric cancer".Criteria were built to select these clinical trials,in which SFI combined with chemotherapy was compared with chemotherapy alone for advanced gastric cancer.The methodological quality of each RCT was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool.RevMan 5.1software was applied for data analyses.Results:Thirteen RCTs involving 860 patients met the selection criteria(all articles were from Chinese databases).The meta-analysis showed positive results for the use of SFI combined with chemotherapy according to quality of life in terms of the scores when compared with chemotherapy alone.Positive results were also obtained for the combination treatment,in terms of complete remission and partial remission efficacy rate,body weight and decreased adverse events including nausea and vomiting at grade 3-4,oral mucositis at grade 1-2,leucopenia at grade 3-4,and myelo-suppression at grade 1-2.Conclusions:This systematic review found encouraging albeit limited evidence for SFI combined with chemotherapy.However,to obtain stronger evidence without the drawbacks of trial design and the quality of studies,we recommend comparative effectiveness researches to test the effectiveness of combination treatment.     

The Western model of integrative oncology — the contribution of Chinese medicine

<正>Western integrative oncology(IO) combines conventional mainstream medicine with complementary and alternative medicine(CAM) for the care of cancer patients.Since it includes patient orientation and the holistic approach of many CAM options,IO offers not only preventive measures,but also a wide spectrum of treatment modalities for all stages of illness,from the acute phases through the rehabilitation period.Many therapeutic methods of IO are supported by scientific evidence,for example,dietary and nutritional counseling,exercise,and mind-body medicine,among others.IO also includes therapeutic interventions of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM).At present acupuncture,qigong,and foot massage play an important role in the Western care of cancer patients.However,unlike in China, in Western countries herbal remedies are usually only used during those periods in which chemotherapy is not applied in order to avoid herb-drug interactions.Instead, acupuncture is widely used to manage the side-effects that often accompany chemotherapy.This paper focuses on the role of Chinese medicine in Western IO and reviews the scope and limitations of IO in the care of cancer patients today.The future challenges of IO will also be discussed in this paper.     

PHASE Ⅱ STUDY OF GEMCITABINE COMBINED WITH PLATINUM CHEMOTHERAPY FOR RECURRENT EPITHELIAL OVARIAN CANCER

Objective To evaluate the anti-tumor effect and toxicity of gemcitabine combined with platinum chemotherapy on recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer. Methods Phase Ⅱstudy of gemcitabine combined with platinum chemotherapy was carried out in 22 patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer. Median age of patients was 50.5 years old. Seven patients were platinum-sensitive and 15 patients were platinum-resistant or -refractory. All patients received gemcitabine combined with carboplatin or oxaliplatin chemotherapy. Patients' response rate (RR) and toxicity of gemcitabine combined with platinum chemotherapy were evaluated. Results A total of 98 gemcitabine-based chemotherapy cycles were performed. Total RR was 36.4%, RR of platinum-sensitive patients was 4/7 and platinum-resistant and -refractory patients was 4/15. The estimated median survival time was 10.0 months (95%CI: 7.0-13.0) after initiation of gemcitabine combined with platinum chemotherapy. There was no significant difference in survival time between platinum-resistant/refractory group and platinum-sensitive group (P=0.061). Side effects of gemcitabine combined with platinum chemotherapy were observed in 81.8% of patients. Grade Ⅱ/Ⅲ anemia (54.5%) and grade Ⅲ/Ⅳ neutropenia (54.5%) were most common toxicities. Ten (45.5%) patients had to delay their chemotherapy cycles or reduce the dose of chemotherapeutic drugs because of the severe side effects. Fourteen (63.6%) patients received granulocyte colony-stimulating factor to relieve neutropenia, and 8 (36.4%) patients received component blood transfusion to treat anemia or thrombocytopenia. There was no treatment-associated death. Conclusion Gemcitabine combined with platinum chemotherapy appears to be an effective and well-tolerant treatment for recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer, including platinum-resistant or -refractory diseases.     

头针治疗帕金森病：一项随机对照试验的系统评价

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of scalp acupuncture (SA), a modern acupuncture technique specialized to neurological disorders, in managing motor function and symptoms for Parkinson''s disease (PD) patients. Methods: Two independent reviewers extracted data from all of the randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that assessed the efficacy of SA for PD compared with conventional therapies (CTs). Sixteen electronic databases were searched. The risk of bias was appraised with the Cochrane Collaboration tool, and the reporting of the included studies was evaluated by the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) 2010 checklist and the revised Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA) guidelines. Results: In total, 4 RCTs met the inclusion criteria. As assessed by the Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS), 2 RCTs showed that SA combined with CTs proved superior to CTs alone [60 cases; weighted mean difference, –3.94; 95% confidence interval (CI), –6.05 to –1.84, P=0.01; I2=0%]. Based on the Webster scale, however, 3 RCTs showed no superior effect of SA when combined with CTs with high heterogeneity (154 cases; risk ratio, 1.29; 95% CI, 0.79 to 2.12, P=0.30; I2=84%). The Cochrane risk of bias, adherence to the CONSORT and the STRICTA checklist showed that the quality of all the included RCTs was generally low. Conclusions: The result of our systematic review and meta-analysis suggested that the effectiveness of SA for PD is promising, however, the evidence is not convincing. A sham-controlled RCT design that adheres to the CONSORT and STRICTA guidelines to overcome methodological weakness and that includes a large sample size is strongly recommended to confirm the precise effect of SA on PD.     

Chuna Therapy for Musculoskeletal Pain: A Systematic Review of Randomized Clinical Trials in Korean Literature

Objective

To evaluate the effectiveness of Chuna for the treatment of musculoskeletal pain as reported in Korean literature.

Methods

We conducted an electronic literature search using seven Korean databases and manually searched six traditional Korean medicine journals. Risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane criteria.

Results

Six randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included in the study. Compared with standard care, three RCTs suggested favorable effects of Chuna on neck pain due to a hypolordotic cervical spine, low back pain caused by traffic accidents, and low back pain. In contrast, compared with standard care, three RCTs failed to show positive effects on temporomandibular joint disorder, mandibular movement, and neck pain caused by traffic accidents.

Conclusions

Currently, the evidence of the effectiveness of Chuna for the treatment of musculoskeletal pain is not convincing. Further rigorously designed trials are warranted to determine its effectiveness.     

An international expert survey on acupuncture in randomized controlled trials for low back pain and a validation of the low back pain acupuncture score

Background

Acupuncture is a promising treatment approach in patients with chronic low back pain (cLBP) but little is known about the quality of acupuncture in randomized controlled trials (RCT) of acupuncture cLBP.

Objective

To determine how international experts (IES) rate the quality of acupuncture in RCTs of cLBP; independent international validation of the Low Back Pain Acupuncture Score (LBPAS).

Methodology

Fifteen experts from 9 different countries outside China were surveyed (IES). They were asked to read anonymized excerpts of 24 RCTs of cLBP and answer a three-item questionnaire on how the method of acupuncture conformed to 1) Chinese textbook standards, 2) the expert''s personally preferred style, and 3) how acupuncture is performed in the expert''s country. Likert scale rating, calculation of the mode for each answer, and Spearman''s rank correlation coefficient between all three answers and the LBPAS were calculated.

Results

On comparison with Chinese textbook standards (question 1), 6 RCTs received a good rating, 8 trials a fair and 10 trials a poor or very poor rating. 5 of the 6 trials rated good, received at least a good rating also in question 2 or 3. We found a high correlation of 0.85 (p < 0.0001) between the IES and LBPAS ratings for question 1 and question 2, and a correlation of 0.66 (p < 0.0001) for question 3.

Conclusion

The international expert survey (IES) revealed that only 6 out of 24 (25%) RCTs of acupuncture for cLBP were rated "good" in respect to Chinese textbook acupuncture standards. There were only small differences in how the acupuncture quality was rated in comparison to Chinese textbook acupuncture, personally preferred and local styles of acupuncture. The rating showed a high correlation with the Low Back Pain Acupuncture Score LBPAS.     

The impact of abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery on intensive care unit resources in an Irish tertiary centre

Background

The potential impact of surgical service reconfiguration on intensive care unit (ICU) resources needs to be assessed.

Aims

To determine the resources required to provide post-operative ICU care to patients undergoing open abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair or endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) at a specialist centre in the HSE South area

Methods

For 198 patients, we calculated: (1) ICU bed-days; (2) organ support required; and (3) monetary cost of ICU care.

Results

In total, 82.8 % (101/122) of patients undergoing open AAA repair required post-operative ICU care (52 emergency and 49 elective). Emergency cases required more ICU bed-days (median 4.2 vs. 1.9, p < 0.0005) and were more likely to require ventilation (odds ratio, OR 11.7, p < 0.0001), inotropes (OR 3.1, p = 0.01) or enteral nutrition (OR 23.3, p < 0.0001). Mean cost per patient was €3,956 for elective cases and €16,419 for emergency cases. No patient required ICU admission after EVAR (n = 76).

Conclusions

Open AAA surgery places significant demands on ICU resources. The planned reconfiguration of surgical services in Ireland must provide for parallel investment in ICU facilities and expertise.     

电针PC6（内关穴）对腹腔镜手术后阿片类物质导致恶心呕吐的预防作用

Objective

To investigate the treatment time dependence of electroacupuncture (EA) on Neiguan (PC6) for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV).

Methods

One hundred and seventy-eight patients, who had received intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) with Fentanyl, were assigned randomly to three groups using random numbers: a pre-operative EA group (PrEA), a post-operative EA group (PoEA), and a non-acupuncture control group (NC). An anesthetist evaluated the incidence and severity of nausea and vomiting for 48 h after surgery blindly. The main outcomes were severity and freguency of PONV, which were measured with a self-reported questionnaire and a confirmation from the anesthetist. The data were analyzed with ANOVA and Z-test.

Results

The incidence of nausea and vomiting was significantly lower in the PrEA group than the NC group during 48 h after surgery (P<0.01, P<0.05). The incidence of vomiting was also significantly lower in the PrEA group than the PoEA group (P<0.05). The PoEA subjects evidenced no significant differences compared with the NC subjects in terms of the incidence of nausea and vomiting (P<0.05). The severity of nausea was significantly lower in the PrEA group than in the NC and PoEA groups (P<0.05).

Conclusions

EA on PC6 is effective in the prevention of PONV, and pre-operative acupuncture is more effective than post-operative acupuncture.     

Astragalus Membranaceus Injection Combined with Conventional Treatment for Viral Myocarditis: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

Objective：To assess the efficacy and safety of Astragalus membranaceus Injection combined with conventional therapy in the treatment of viral myocarditis.Methods：Randomized controlled trials（RCTs） of A.membranaceus Injection combined with conventional treatment compared with conventional treatment alone were included.Study population characteristics and outcome results were extracted independently by two assessors.Meta-analysis was performed for data available.Results：Six RCTs,involving 639 participants,were included in this study.The methodological quality of the included trials was generally low,and there was high risk of publication bias in the included trials.The total effective rate of A.membranaceus Injection combined with conventional treatment was significantly higher than that of conventional treatment alone.Compared with conventional treatment,the cointervention treatment group showed significant recovery in myocardium enzyme levels and electrocardiography.Two RCTs reported there were no adverse effects from A.membranaceus Injection combined with conventional treatment.Conclusion：A.membranaceus Injection combined with conventional treatment appeared to be more efficacious compared with conventional treatment alone for treating viral myocarditis.However,this conclusion should be cautiously interpreted due to low methodological quality,small sample size,limited number of trials,and high risk of publication bias and other unidentified risks of bias.The safety of A.membranaceus Injection combined with conventional treatment remains uncertain.     

Acupuncture Treatment for Post-Stroke Dysphagia: An Update Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Objective

To explore the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in patients with post-stroke dysphagia by an update meta-analysis.

Methods

Potentially eligible RCTs aimed to evaluate the effects of acupuncture vs. non-acupuncture treatments, such as rehabilitation training or routine medication on the swallowing difficulty after stroke were searched from PubMed, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and other database from the earliest record to June 2016. Patient demographics, regimens for acupuncture, type of controls, methods of randomization, and measurements of the clinical symptoms of dysphagia were retrieved. The relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of effective rate of dysphagia was calculated after intervention performed following admission. Subgroup analyses and a metaregression analysis were performed to describe the heterogeneity.

Results

Twenty-nine RCTs comprising 2,190 patients were included. The included studies had a medium quality grade based on the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) and Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA) checklist. Acupuncture therapy provided a higher effective rate compared with nonacupuncture treatments [RR=1.33, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.25 to 1.43]. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses suggested that acupuncture intensity and measurement method were main sources of heterogeneity and resulted in a significant difference for pooled effect size. No severe adverse events were documented in these RCTs.

Conclusions

Our meta-analysis provides a new evidence supporting the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in treatment to post-stroke dysphagia in short-term compared with rehabilitation or medication. More high-quality and large-scale research studies are needed.

     

穴位埋线治疗过敏性鼻炎：一项系统综述

Objective： To assess the effectiveness and the possible adverse effects of catgut implantation at acupoints for allergic rhinitis （AR）. Methods： This systematic review was carried out in accordance with the Cochrane Handbook version 5.1.0 and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta- Analyses statement. Extensive literature searches were conducted in PubMed, Excerpta Medical Databases, the Cochrane Library, the China National Infrastructure, Wanfang Chinese Digital Periodical and Conference Database, and the Weipu Chinese Science and Technique Journals Database. The Chinese Clinical Trial Registry Center was also searched for ongoing trials up to September 2012. Randomized controlled trials （RCTs） or quasi-RCTs were included. Risk of bias assessment was performed using the Cochrane tool for assessing risk of bias. Results： Five RCTs with 285 participants were found from 49 relevant studies, but there was just one RCT which met the inclusion criteria for this review. The study showed that treatment of catgut implantation at acupoints could lead to a better alleviation of the signs and symptoms of AR than the crude herb moxibustion. No adverse events were reported in this study. Conclusions： Because of the methodological shortcoming and the risk of bias of the included trial catgut implantation was proved with only limited evidence for the treatment of AR. Robust RCTs with high quality and larger sample size in this field are hoped to be carried out in the future.     

Impact Evaluation of CONSORT and STRICTA Guidelines on Reporting Quality for Randomized Controlled Trials of Acupuncture Conducted in China

Objective:To evaluate and compare the reports' qualities of acupuncture randomized controlled trials(RCTs) conducted in China before and after the implementation of two guidelines,i.e.,the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials(CONSORT) statement and the Standards for Reporting Interventions in Controlled Trials of Acupuncture(STRICTA).Methods:Proportions of studies that reported CONSORT and STRICTA items were compared for the years before and after implementation of these two guidelines.In addition,the total score of each item's reporting were calculated and reported differences during different date ranges were compared.Results:For CONSORT items(maximum score 8),there was evidence of a slight improvement in reporting between 1994-1995 and 1999-2000 combined(2.5 + 0.6) and 2004-2005 and2009-2010 combined(3.0 ±0.9;difference 0.4,95%confidence interval,0.3 to 0.6,P0.01).For STRICTA items(maximum score 17),there was evidence that a slight improvement in reporting between 1994-1995 and 1999-2000 combined(8.6±2.1) and 2004-2005 and 2009-2010 combined(10.1 ±1.8;difference1.5,95%confidence interval,1.1 to 1.9,P0.01).Conclusion:Quality of reporting for RCTs of acupuncture treatment conducted in China have generally improved since the introduction of the STRICTA and CONSORT guidelines.