Multiple Psoas Abscess Formation after Pharmacopuncture -A Case Report-

Abstract

Acupuncture has been widely used in alternative medicine for pain relief but may have many complications due to lack of appropriate cares. Pharmacopuncture is a sort of acupuncture that injects a herbal ingredient through a thin tube for the purpose of combining the effects of the herb and acupuncture and it has many pitfalls. The agents used in pharmacopuncture are not refined for a desired effect and not produced by sterile standard processes under strict medical surveillance. We report a case of a 44-yr-old male patient who had multiple abscesses in the psoas region with fever, right low back and hip pain that began after the pharmacopuncture treatment. This case shows that although pharmacopuncture has been practiced widely, it is important that the appropriate aseptic technique should be used to prevent severe infections and other complications.

Safety of Oriental Medical Therapy: Drug Fever of Herbal Medicine and Procedure-related Fever

“…Pharmacopuncture is a new acupuncture therapy in which purified herbal medicine or pharmacological medication is injected into acupoints 17 . Pharmacopuncture may trigger more complications than casual acupuncture because complications can be related to the acupuncture process or the herbal medicine 18 . Moxibustion or cupping therapy also can injure the cutaneous structures, but these procedures seldom injure the subcutaneous adipose tissue or deeper structures.…”

Korean Pharmacopuncture Meets Austrian High-Tech Acupuncture - A Short Review Article Including a Bibliometric Analysis of Pharmacopuncture over the Last 15 Years - Pharmacopuncture and Europe

“…This is also reflected in the literature available in Europe. However, there are reports about side effects [ 9 ] when the pharmacopuncture material is not produced under sterile conditions. The case report by Koo et al describes multiple abscesses in the psoas region with fever and pain after pharmacopuncture [ 9 ].…”

A sinister cause of back pain in a young man

“…10 This alternative therapy involves injection of herbal or venom preparations into the tissues via acupuncture needles and small cannulas. The process does not use sterile preparations and is not regulated by governmental bodies.…”