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[Auricular point sticking therapy as an adjunctive treatment for pediatric bacterial pneumonia: a randomized
Chenming Cao1, Yan Xu1, Shuxia Ma2
1College of Pediatrics, Henan University of CM, Zhengzhou 450046, China.
Insights
Auricular point sticking therapy combined with antibiotics significantly improved symptoms in children with pediatric bacterial pneumonia. This traditional Chinese medicine approach enhanced recovery compared to antibiotics alone.
Area of Science:
- Integrative Medicine
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
Background:
- Pediatric bacterial pneumonia, particularly the wind-heat accumulating in lung pattern, presents a significant clinical challenge.
- Conventional antibiotic therapy is the standard treatment, but adjunct therapies are sought to improve clinical outcomes and symptom resolution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the clinical efficacy of auricular point sticking therapy when used as an adjunct to antibiotic treatment for pediatric bacterial pneumonia.
- To assess the impact of this combined therapy on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome scores, symptom severity, and key inflammatory markers.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 94 children diagnosed with pediatric bacterial pneumonia.
- The observation group received intravenous latamoxef sodium plus auricular point sticking therapy targeting specific acupoints (Fei, Qiguan, Jiaogan, Shenshangxian, Shenmen) daily for 7 days.
- The control group received only intravenous latamoxef sodium. TCM syndrome scores, Canadian acute respiratory illness and flu scale (CARIFS) scores, and inflammatory markers (WBC, CRP, PCT) were compared.
Main Results:
- Both groups showed significant improvements in TCM syndrome scores, CARIFS scores, and inflammatory markers post-treatment.
- The observation group exhibited significantly greater reductions in TCM syndrome scores and CARIFS scores compared to the control group.
- The overall curative and remarkably effective rate was significantly higher in the observation group (70.5%) than in the control group (44.2%).
Conclusions:
- Auricular point sticking therapy, when combined with antibiotics, demonstrates superior efficacy in alleviating key symptoms of pediatric bacterial pneumonia, including fever, cough, and runny nose.
- This integrated approach offers a promising therapeutic strategy for managing pediatric bacterial pneumonia characterized by wind-heat accumulating in the lung pattern.
Objective:
To observe the clinical efficacy of auricular point sticking therapy combined with antibiotics for pediatric bacterial pneumonia of wind-heat accumulating in lung.
Methods:
Ninety-four children with bacterial pneumonia were divided into an observation group (47 cases, 3 cases dropped out) and a control group (47 cases, with 4 cases terminated). The patients in the control group were treated with intravenous drip of latamoxef sodium injection, twice daily for 7 days. The patients in the observation group were treated with auricular point sticking therapy in addition to the treatment given to the control group. Acupoints selected included Fei (CO14), Qiguan (CO16), Jiaogan (AH6a), Shenshangxian (TG2P), and Shenmen (TF4), with treatment applied once daily, alternating ears, for 7 days. The TCM syndrome scores, Canadian acute respiratory illness and flu scale (CARIFS) scores, and levels of white blood cell count (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP), and procalcitonin (PCT) were compared before and after treatment between the two groups, along with clinical efficacy.
Results:
Compared before treatment, both groups showed a reduction in TCM syndrome scores, CARIFS scores, and levels of WBC, CRP, and PCT after treatment (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the observation group had lower TCM syndrome scores in fever, cough, expectoration, lung auscultation, sneezing, runny nose, sleep, and bowel symptoms, as well as lower CARIFS scores in fever, cough, nasal congestion and runny nose, and irritability (P<0.05). The curative and remarkably effective rate was 70.5% (31/44) in the observation group, which was higher than 44.2% (19/43) in the control group (P<0.05).
Conclusion:
Auricular point sticking therapy combined with antibiotics is more effective in improving symptoms such as fever, cough, and runny nose in children with bacterial pneumonia of wind-heat accumulating in lung.
