Effectiveness of Self-administered Acupressure for Family Caregivers of Advanced Cancer Patients With Insomnia: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Comparing the Efficacy of Acupressure and Foot Reflexology on Sleep Quality in Patients With Leukemia: A Comparative Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND

Among leukemia patients, sleep disruptions are prevalent and can profoundly affect their overall quality of life. Acupressure and foot reflexology, modalities rooted in traditional Chinese medicine, have garnered attention for their potential to address sleep disturbances and mitigate associated symptoms.

METHODS

This research utilized a randomized controlled trial with a pretest-posttest design involving 102 leukemia patients admitted to Imam Khomeini Hospital in Urmia. Participants were randomly allocated to 3 groups: acupressure (n = 34), reflexology (n = 34), or control (n = 34). Prior to the intervention, patients completed a demographic survey and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) for baseline assessments. Acupressure involved stimulation of the SP6 point twice daily for 10 minutes over 4 weeks, while reflexology entailed daily 10-minute sessions with sweet almond oil on the soles for the same duration. The control group received standard care without additional interventions. Following the 4-week intervention period, post-intervention evaluations were conducted using identical measurement tools.

RESULTS

The findings underscored the efficacy of both acupressure and foot reflexology in significantly improving sleep quality within the intervention groups (P < .001). Initially, there were no notable differences in sleep quality among the 3 groups (P > .05). Subsequently, pairwise comparisons adjusted with Bonferroni corrections revealed significant disparities in sleep quality between the acupressure and reflexology groups compared to the control group (P < .001). However, post-intervention analysis indicated no statistically significant variance in enhancing sleep quality between the acupressure and foot reflexology groups (P < .05).

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates that acupressure and foot reflexology interventions can enhance sleep quality in individuals with leukemia. These findings support the effectiveness of these complementary modalities, offering targeted relief and relaxation. While these non-invasive therapies show promise in improving well-being, further research is needed to confirm and expand upon these results due to study limitations.

Prospective comparison of acupuncture with sham acupuncture to determine impact on sedation and analgesia in mechanically ventilated critically ill patients (PASSION study): protocol for a randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Sedation and analgesia are recommended to be employed in the intensive care unit (ICU) to enhance patient comfort and safety, facilitate mechanical ventilation and reduce oxygen demands. However, the increasing evidence demonstrates that excessive sedation and analgesia might prolong mechanical ventilation and increase costs and mortality. Acupuncture is known to be able to attenuate pain, anxiety and agitation symptoms while avoiding excessive sedation and analgesia caused by drugs. Therefore, we present a protocol to investigate whether acupuncture, used for sedation and analgesia, can reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation, save medical resources and reduce the mortality of critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Prospective, randomised controlled trial is conducted on 180 adult medical/surgical ICU patients with mechanical ventilation needing sedation at 3 ICUs between 03 November 2021 and 16 August 2023. Patients will be treated with analgesia and sedation to achieve desired target sedation levels (Richmond Agitation Sedation Score of -2 to 1). Enrolled patients will be randomly assigned in a ratio of 1:1:1 to receive deep needle insertion with combined manual and alternating-mode electrical stimulation on acupoints (AC group), superficial needle insertion without manual stimulation and electrical stimulation on non-acupoints (SAC group), or no acupuncture intervention (NAC group). The primary outcome is the duration of mechanical ventilation from randomisation until patients are free of mechanical ventilation (including non-invasive) without reinstitution for the following 48 hours. Secondary endpoints include the dose of administered sedatives and analgesic at comparable sedation levels throughout the study, ICU length of stay, hospital length of stay. Additional outcomes include the prevalence and days of delirium in ICU, mortality in ICU and within 28 days after randomisation, and the number of ventilator free days in 28 days.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This trial was approved by the ethics committee at Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine. We will publish the study results.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ChiCTR2100052650.