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Tiny needles, major benefits: acupuncture in child health
Xiaobin Ge1, Gonglei Yue1, Guangzhong Du1
1Department of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China.
Insights
Acupuncture effectively treats over 55 pediatric conditions, including paralysis and digestive issues, across all hospital subspecialties. This study highlights acupuncture
Area of Science:
- Integrative Medicine
- Pediatric Healthcare
- Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
Background:
- Acupuncture utilization in pediatric care is expanding.
- Understanding its application in general hospitals is crucial for integrated treatment approaches.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze acupuncture use in pediatric patients from 2015-2020.
- To identify common diseases and subspecialty applications.
- To assess acupuncture's role in pediatric healthcare.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of pediatric inpatient data.
- Analysis of consultation requests from January 2015 to December 2020.
- Categorization of diseases by ICD-11 and pediatric subspecialties.
Main Results:
- Acupuncture treated 55 pediatric diseases, notably peripheral facial paralysis, diarrhea, and Guillain-Barré syndrome.
- Applications span all pediatric subspecialties, especially neurology, critical care, surgery, respiratory, and orthopedics.
- Nervous system, respiratory, neoplasms, and digestive disorders were primary consultation reasons.
Conclusions:
- Acupuncture is a versatile complementary therapy for pediatric diseases.
- Its integration in hospitals is linked to pediatric practice growth.
- Findings inform clinical practice, education, and healthcare policy.
Objective:
To retrospectively investigate the utilization patterns and clinical indications of acupuncture within the pediatric population in general hospitals from 2015 to 2020, including disease spectrum characteristics and relevance to pediatric subspecialties.
Methods:
The clinical data of pediatric inpatients consulted by Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina Department of Qilu Hospital of Shandong University was collected from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2020. The data collected include the number of wards in which consultation was requested, the diseases that require consultation, the distribution of pediatric tertiary disciplines and the system of disease affiliation.
Results:
This study summarizes 55 types of pediatric diseases treated with acupuncture. The most common health issues addressed include peripheral facial paralysis, diarrhea, reduced limb mobility or decreased muscle strength, postoperative bloating, and Guillain-Barré syndrome. Acupuncture is utilized across all pediatric subdisciplines, with notable applications in neurology, critical care medicine, general surgery, respiratory medicine, and orthopedics. The classification of diseases for acupuncture consultations primarily focuses on disorders of the nervous system, respiratory system, neoplasms, and digestive system (according to ICD-11).
Conclusions:
In summary, acupuncture has a broad range of applications in the treatment of pediatric diseases and can serve as a valuable complementary and alternative therapy. The advancement of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) acupuncture in general hospitals is closely linked to the involvement of pediatric practices. The findings of this study provide valuable insights for clinical practice, acupuncture education, pediatric healthcare systems, and social research.
