Acupuncture for Pain Management in Pediatric Patients with Sickle Cell Disease

Abstract

Pain management in an acute vaso-occlusive episode for pediatric patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) is challenging and often is focused on opioids, IV fluids, regional anesthesia, ketamine infusions, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Acupuncture has long been studied as an effective method of pain relief, although the use of acupuncture in pediatric patients with SCD during an acute vaso-occlusive pain episode is vastly understudied. This article provides a review of current research regarding the use of acupuncture as a pain treatment strategy for pediatric patients with SCD experiencing acute pain. A literature review of scientific papers published within the last ten years was conducted on the topic. Five primary literature articles on acupuncture for pain management in pediatric patients with SCD were reviewed. Acupuncture is feasible and acceptable, with statistically significant findings for effectiveness as an adjunct treatment for pain in this setting. It is concluded that acupuncture is a promising and understudied therapy for the treatment of pain during an acute pain episode in pediatric patients with SCD. Hopefully, this paper stimulates interest in this specific area of medicine and prompts future research studies to be conducted to reveal conclusive outcomes.

Patients’ caring experience during procedures under regional anesthesia in Mainland China: A phenomenology study

“…Specifically, a guideline [ 31 ] and a cohort study [ 32 ] suggest that clinical physicians should provide patient and family-centered personalized education and sufficient information to patients (and/or responsible caregivers), which can improve patient experience and reduce fear of surgery. Similarly, hypnosis and acupuncture can replace sedatives to reduce intraoperative anxiety in patients receiving regional anesthesia, and intelligent surgical beds that allow patients to watch movies, listen to music, and video chat with family members are all paths that can improve the patient caring experience [ [33] , [34] , [35] ].…”

Comment on: Ketamine use for management of vaso‐occlusive pain in pediatric sickle cell disease

“…3 In addition, the article does not address prior acupuncture use in the study population, which may influence the efficacy of ketamine treatment. 4 Variable pain-relieving effects of acupuncture among patients may lead to confusion, factors that impede the evaluation of ketamine's efficacy. In addition, the retrospective design of the study introduces the possibility of recall bias and the potential for missing, incorrect, or inaccurate data, which may lead to conclusions that are not reliable.…”