Letter to the Editor Regarding "Acupuncture-Induced Cranial Epidural Abscess: Case Report and Review of the Literature"

Multiple facial candidal abscesses after self-administered acupuncture in a patient with undiagnosed diabetes mellitus: a case report

Background

Facial abscess caused by Candida albicans infection is a rare condition even in immunocompromised patients, and only a few cases have been reported. To our knowledge, this is the first case of multiple facial candidal abscesses caused by self-administered acupuncture in an undiagnosed diabetes mellitus patient.

Case presentation

A 57-year-old woman who had self-acupuncture treatment 2 weeks previously, presented with a 1-week history of progressive left eyelid swelling, erythema, and pain. Despite the antibiotic treatment, the lesion progressed. Surgical incision and drainage was performed and Candida albicans was isolated from the obtained pus culture. The patient was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus based on a random serum glucose level of 350 mg/dl and 9.2% HbA1c. The abscess resolved after seven incision and drainage cycles and 4 weeks of intravenous fluconazole treatment with an appropriate control of diabetes mellitus.

Conclusion

Unusual organisms and underlying immunocompromised condition should be suspected in cases of recurrent abscess showing an inadequate response to antibiotic treatment.

Acupuncture and related interventions for anxiety in coronavirus disease 2019: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Traditional Chinese medicine plays an irreplaceable role in the treatment and prevention of epidemic diseases in China. Acupuncture is an important part of Chinese medicine. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, acupuncture and related interventions are used to treat COVID-19 patients in China. The systematic review aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture and relevant interventions for anxiety in COVID-19.

METHODS

We will search for randomized control and observational studies of acupuncture and related interventions for anxiety in COVID-19 in the 6 databases from inception to 31 October 2020. There is no language restriction. Two independent reviewers will screen and collect all trials, data extraction and evaluate the risk of bias of the researches. We will perform a meta-analysis if appropriate.

RESULTS

Our findings will evaluate the feasibility of acupuncture and related interventions as adjunctive therapy for anxiety in COVID-19 patients, which will be disseminated in a relevant conference and published in a peer-reviewed publication.

CONCLUSION

Our research will appraise the overall quality and evidence of whether acupuncture and related interventions are effective therapies for anxiety in COVID-19.

Acupuncture for breathlessness in COVID-19: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

At present, accumulative attention has been paid to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to its global prevalence. Acupuncture may play a beneficial role in patients with breathlessness in COVID-19. This study is designed to determine the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for breathlessness in COVID-19.

METHODS

Randomized controlled trials (RCT) will be searched from 7 electronic databases, with the last search update being 30 June 2020. Studies by registers of clinical trials will be additionally searched. Two investigators will independently select studies, extract data and evaluate study quality. Finally, a meta-analysis will be used to evaluate the pooled intervention effect if possible.

RESULTS

Our present findings will indicate the application of acupuncture as an adjunctive treatment for dyspnea in COVID-19, which will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

CONCLUSION

Our study will provide a reference foundation for clinical optimization of treatment.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42020182323.