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Vascular injuries caused by acupuncture. A systematic review
1Department of Surgical Sciences, Section of Surgery, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. david.bergqvist@surgsci.uu.se
Summary
Acupuncture can cause rare but serious vascular injuries, including bleeding and pseudoaneurysms. Patient follow-up in reported cases is often insufficient, hindering complete understanding of outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Integrative Medicine
- Vascular Surgery
- Patient Safety
Background:
- Acupuncture is a widely used complementary therapy.
- Potential complications, including vascular injury, require thorough investigation.
Observation:
- A systematic literature search identified 31 cases of vascular injury attributed to acupuncture.
- The majority of injuries occurred in direct relation to the acupuncture procedure.
Findings:
- Fatal outcomes included pericardial tamponade and aortoduodenal fistula.
- Common injuries were pseudoaneurysms (8), bleeding (7), ischemia (2), and venous thrombosis (2).
- Neurological complications and persistent sequelae were noted in some cases.
Implications:
- Vascular complications from acupuncture, though rare, can be severe and life-threatening.
- Inadequate follow-up data in published literature limits comprehensive assessment of injury severity and long-term outcomes.
- Enhanced reporting and standardized follow-up protocols are crucial for improving patient safety in acupuncture.