A large randomized trial finds acupuncture to be superior.
Acupuncture has been studied for a variety of conditions and has been found to be effective for some. Now, investigators in Tunisia have conducted a randomized trial comparing acupuncture to morphine for treatment of pain in 300 emergency department (ED) patients with moderate to severe pain from a variety of causes.
Morphine was administered at an initial dose of 0.1 mg/kg, followed by 0.05 mg/kg every 5 minutes until reaching a maximum dose of 15 mg or a 50% or greater reduction in pain score on a visual analog pain scale (the main outcome). Acupuncture was performed according to a semi-standardized protocol.
A reduction in pain score ≥50% was achieved more often in the acupuncture group compared with the morphine group (92% vs. 78%) and wa…
Reviewing Author
DisclosuresConsultant/Advisory BoardPortola Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Speaker’s BureauPeerView Institute for Medical Education
Grant/Research SupportAgency for Healthcare Research and Quality; CDC; NIH–National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences; NIH–National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID); NIH–NIAID–Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group; Merck; Pfizer; Boehringer-Ingelheim; Shire; Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Novartis; bioMérieux; Siemens; Rapid Pathogen Screening; Magnolia; Stago; Innovative Biosensors; Molecular Detection, Inc.; Dyax Corp.; Trius Pharmaceuticals
DisclosuresConsultant/Advisory BoardPortola Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Speaker’s BureauPeerView Institute for Medical Education
Grant/Research SupportAgency for Healthcare Research and Quality; CDC; NIH–National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences; NIH–National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID); NIH–NIAID–Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group; Merck; Pfizer; Boehringer-Ingelheim; Shire; Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Novartis; bioMérieux; Siemens; Rapid Pathogen Screening; Magnolia; Stago; Innovative Biosensors; Molecular Detection, Inc.; Dyax Corp.; Trius Pharmaceuticals