Supplementing early pulmonary rehabilitation with acupuncture can better promote recovery from stroke-associated pneumonia / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To observe any therapeutic effect of combining early pulmonary rehabilitation training with acupuncture at the back-shu and front-mu acupoints in treating stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP).Methods:Eighty SAP patients were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group, each of 40. Both groups were given routine symptomatic treatment for pneumonia, nutritional support, lipid-lowering and anti-infection measures, as well as acupuncture at the back-shu and front-mu acupoints. The treatment group additionally received pulmonary rehabilitation training. Before and after 14 days of the treatment, both groups were evaluated in terms of their forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), peak flow rate (PEF), white blood cell count (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP), and procalcitonin (PCT). Chinese medicine (TCM) scores for expectoration of phlegm, shortness of breath, pulmonary rales, cough, fever and weakness were also assigned. The duration of antibiotic use and intensive care unit (ICU) stay were compared between the two groups.Results:Treatment efficacy was significantly higher in the treatment group (97.5%) than in the control group (85.0%). The treatment group′s average duration of antibiotic use and ICU stay were significantly shorter than in the control group. The treatment improved the average FVC, FEV1, PEF, WBC, CRP and PCT of both groups significantly leaving the average FVC and PEF of the treatment group significantly higher than the control group′s average, but its average WBC, CRP, PCT and the total TCM syndrome score significantly lower.Conclusions:Combining early pulmonary rehabilitation training with acupuncture at the back-shu and front-mu acupoints has a definite therapeutic effect on SAP patients. It can significantly shorten the use of antibiotics and ICU stay, promote the recovery of lung function, reduce inflammation and relieve clinical symptoms.