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Acupuncture as an Adjunctive Treatment for Pain in Hospitalized Children With Sickle Cell Disease
Sarah Reece-Stremtan1, Laila Mahmood2, Stefanie Margulies3
1Division of Anesthesiology, Pain, and Perioperative Medicine, Children's National Hospital, Washington DC, USA; Department of Pediatrics, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington DC, USA.
Insights
Acupuncture is a well-tolerated, acceptable adjunctive therapy for youth with sickle cell disease (SCD) experiencing acute pain. It significantly reduces pain scores and shows a trend toward shorter hospital stays.
Area of Science:
- Pain Management
- Hematology
- Integrative Medicine
Background:
- Acute pain episodes in sickle cell disease (SCD) lead to significant healthcare costs and hospitalizations.
- Current opioid-based pain management is often insufficient, leading to prolonged hospital stays and readmissions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the acceptability of acupuncture as an add-on treatment for hospitalized youth with SCD.
- To explore acupuncture's impact on pain outcomes in this population.
Main Methods:
- A single-center study involving adolescents (9-20 years) with SCD hospitalized for acute pain.
- Participants were assigned to either an acupuncture group or a control group, both receiving standard care.
- Acceptability and pain scores were primary outcome measures.
Main Results:
- Acupuncture was accepted by over 66% of participants and well-tolerated with no side effects.
- A statistically significant reduction in pain scores was observed post-acupuncture (6.84 to 5.51).
- A trend towards reduced length of stay and readmission rates was noted, though not statistically significant.
Conclusions:
- Acupuncture is a safe and acceptable adjunctive therapy for pediatric SCD patients with acute pain.
- Acupuncture provides significant short-term pain relief and may help reduce hospital stay duration and readmissions.
Context:
Acute episodes of pain associated with sickle cell disease (SCD) account for over 100,000 hospitalizations and expenses of nearly one billion dollars annually in the U.S. New treatment approaches are needed as the current opioid based therapy is often inadequate in controlling pain, resulting in prolonged inpatient stays, and high rates of readmission.
Objectives:
To evaluate acceptability of acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy and explore the impact of acupuncture on pain related outcomes in a population of youth with SCD hospitalized for management of acute pain.
Methods:
This IRB approved single center study recruited youth with SCD (9-20 years) who were hospitalized for management of acute pain into either the acupuncture group or controls. Both groups also received standard pain management therapies.
Results:
Participants in the acupuncture (n = 19) and control (n = 10) group were comparable in clinical characteristics. Acupuncture had an acceptability rate of over 66% and was tolerated well without any side effects. Acupuncture was associated with reduction in pain scores (6.84-5.51; P < 0.0001). Acupuncture group demonstrated a trend toward lower length of stay and readmission rates, but these were not statistically significant. Opioid use was not different between the groups. Treatment Evaluation Inventory survey showed high rates of satisfaction with acupuncture.
Conclusion:
Acupuncture was broadly accepted and well-tolerated in our study population. Acupuncture treatment was associated with a statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in pain scores immediately following the treatments, and a trend towards a reduction in length of stay and readmission for pain.
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