Acupuncture and herbal medicine can prevent delirium in patients with cardiovascular disease

In this study, researchers from the Graduate School of Medicine at Gifu University in Japan investigated the effectiveness of combination therapy consisting of acupuncture and traditional herbal medicine (Kampo medicine) in reducing the incidence rate of delirium in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the intensive care unit (ICU). The results of their study were published in The American Journal of Chinese Medicine.

• In the control period, 29 patients who had been urgently admitted to the ICU received conventional intensive care.
• In the treatment period, 30 patients received conventional therapy plus a combination therapy consisting of acupuncture and herbal medicine.
• The researchers reported that acupuncture treatment was performed once a day and the herbal formula was administered orally three times a day during the patients’ first week in the ICU.
• They also listed GV20, Ex-HN3, HT7, LI4, Liv3, and KI3 as the standard acupuncture points used and Kamikihito as the main herbal preparation.
• They then assessed the incident rates of delirium in the treatment and control period using the confusion assessment method for ICU and compared them.
• They found that the incidence rate of delirium was significantly lower in the treatment group than in the control group (6.6 percent vs. 37.9 percent, P<0.01).
• They also observed that sedative drugs and non-pharmacological approaches against the aggressive behavior of patients who were delirious were used less in the treatment group than in the control group.
• They did not observe serious adverse events in the treatment group.

Based on their findings, the researchers concluded that the combination of acupuncture and herbal medicine is effective in lowering the incidence of delirium in patients with CVD in ICUs.

Journal Reference:

Matsumoto-Miyazaki J, Ushikoshi H, Miyata S, Miyazaki N, Nawa T, Okada H, Ojio S, Ogura S, Minatoguchi S. ACUPUNCTURE AND TRADITIONAL HERBAL MEDICINE THERAPY PREVENT DELIRIUMIN PATIENTS WITH CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE IN INTENSIVE CARE UNITS. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CHINESE MEDICINE. 2017;45(02):255–268. DOI: 10.1142/s0192415x17500161