Effects of auriculotherapy on stress, anxiety and depression in adults and older adults: a systematic review

Effect of Comprehensive Nursing on Pain Relief, Comfort and Burden of Family Care of Infantile Anal Fistula

Objective

To explore the effect of comprehensive nursing on pain relief, comfort and burden of family care of infantile anal fistula.

Methods

This was a randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial. A total of 106 cases of children with anal fistula from January 2021 to December 2021 were selected and divided into observation group and control group, there were 53 cases in each group. The control group were underwent with routine nursing intervention. The observation group were underwent with video health education, peer support, music relaxation training, physiotherapy and auricular point pressing on the basis of routine nursing therapy and other measures (comprehensive nursing). The wound healing time, comfort score, complication rate and family care burden of two groups were compared.

Results

After intervention, the scores of pain degree in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (4.02 ± 0.85 vs 5.89 ± 2.36, p < 0.05), and the scores of comfort degree in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (70.23 ± 5.98 vs 46.88 ± 5.23, p < 0.05). After intervention, the wound healing time of the observation group was shorter than that of the control group (3.98 ± 0.63 vs 5.77 ± 1.02, p < 0.05), and the crying times of the observation group were less than that of the control group (1.22 ± 0.26 vs 4.02 ± 0.48, p < 0.05). After intervention, the total scores of family members' care load in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (37.26 ± 4.78 vs 55.99 ± 5.02, p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Comprehensive nursing can effectively promote wound healing in infantile anal fistula, reduce pain, prompt children's comfort, reduce the number of children crying, and reduce the burden of care for children's families.

Offer of integrative and complementary health practices for the elderly in health services: A protocol for systematic review and meta analysis

INTRODUCTION

Integrative and complementary health practices (ICHP) question the hegemony of the biomedical, technical and hospital paradigm, as they are an important axis in the process of redefining the health care model. Understanding how ICHP are offered to the elderly population can help to improve the production of changes in care and in the daily life of health services.

OBJECTIVE

To identify and summarize the scientific evidence on the provision of ICHP for the elderly in health services.

METHODS

This is a research protocol for a scoping review following the recommendations of the Extension for Scoping Reviews method proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. Studies will be collected in the following databases, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature, Web of Science, Scopus, Scielo, Online System for Searching and Analyzing Medical Literature (MEDLINE), Embase, Virtual Library in Health and gray literature. Two independent reviewers will perform screening, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Assessment Checklist. For the quality of evidence, the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation analysis will be used.

RESULTS

This review will provide information on the provision of ICHP for the elderly population in health services.

CONCLUSIONS

This scoping review will provide evidence to help health professionals, managers and users to recognize more effective therapeutic inventions for promoting, preventing and protecting comprehensive health at different levels of care.

Effectiveness of auriculotherapy for anxiety, stress or burnout in health professionals: a network meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

to analyze the effectiveness of auriculotherapy, when compared to the control group, placebo or usual treatment for anxiety, stress or burnout in health professionals.

METHOD

a systematic review conducted in nine information sources, being selected experimental or quasi-experimental studies with auriculotherapy intervention in health professionals, compared to control, placebo or usual treatment groups. Descriptive analysis and network meta-analysis by means of direct and indirect comparison. Quality of the outcomes was assessed with the Confidence in Network Meta-analysis.

RESULTS

15 articles were included: 66.6% with Nursing teams and 53.3% with interventions involving semi-permanent needles. The shen men, brainstem, kidney, sympathetic, lung and liver acupoints predominated. There was a reduction in anxiety with semi-permanent needles (CI -8.18, -6.10), magnetic palettes (CI -7.76, -5.54), placebo (CI -5.47, -3.36) and seeds (CI -6.35, -4.05); as well as in stress with semi-permanent needles (CI -37.21, -10.88) and seeds with (CI -28.14, -11.70) and without a closed protocol (CI -36.42, -10.76). Meta-analysis was unfeasible for burnout; however, significant reductions were verified when it was treated with auriculotherapy.

CONCLUSION

Auriculotherapy is effective to reduce anxiety and stress in health professionals; however, this assertion cannot be made in the case of burnout. It was evidenced that workers' health is favored with the use of auriculotherapy.

The Effect of Auriculotherapy on Situational Anxiety Trigged by Examinations: A Randomized Pilot Trial

Background: Auriculotherapy may activate the parasympathetic nerve system and reduce anxiety levels. Short-term auriculotherapy’s effects and safety on university students’ anxiety levels was assessed prior to exams. Methods: A randomized, controlled pilot trial was conducted. The day before the exam, university students were randomly allocated to the auriculotherapy group (AA, n = 13) or the waiting-list group (WG, n = 13). Baseline measures were taken 4 weeks before the exam at Time point (TP 0); at 7.30 a.m. on the day before the exam (TP I); at 11 a.m. before auriculotherapy (TP II); 30 min after AA (TP III); and at 7.30 a.m. before the exam (TP IV). The outcomes were the State-Trait-Anxiety Inventory (STAI); quality of night-sleep, Visual Analogue scale (VAS) for anxiety, and salivary cortisol. Adverse events were also recorded. Results: A total of 26 students participated in this study and became more anxious as assessed by STAI in TPII (p = 0.002) and TPIV (p = 0.000) than TP0. AA reduced the STAI in TPIII (p = 0.045) and PIV (p = 0.001) and the VAS (p = 0.012) in TPIV. Cortisol was reduced in TPIII (p = 0.004), and the AA slept better (p = 0.014) at TPIV. Discomfort at the auricular site was reported in only one AA participant. Conclusions: Auriculotherapy appeared safe and effective in reducing anxiety levels before university exams.

Understanding Traditional Chinese Medicine Therapeutics: An Overview of the Basics and Clinical Applications

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a systematic healthcare system developed from clinical experience based on a scientific model of regulation. TCM relies on unique theories and practices to treat diseases and enhance health. These practices include Chinese herbal medicine and dietetics, acupuncture and moxibustion, and other non-medication therapies such as Chinese bodywork or manual therapy, known as "Tuina", and traditional biofeedback exercises, known as "Qigong" and "Taijiquan". The integration of TCM in Western health systems and research requires a rational communicable theory, scientific proof of efficacy and safety, and quality control measures. Understanding the structural concepts of the TCM language makes possible the parallelism to Western physiology, and the inherent rational use of the reflex therapeutic systems, anti-inflammatory mechanisms and mental training involved, for example, in acupuncture and "Qigong". The results of TCM clinical trials and fundamental research on its nature and mechanisms have encouraged the development and application of well-designed research strategies such as double blinding in acupucture to overcome limitations and resistances in integrating these practices into the existing biomedical paradigms of the West. This review aims to overview some TCM theoretical concepts and the evidence-based clinical application of TCM's leading practices to create an easy-to-consult and condensed source of information, available for the healthcare community, facilitating the understanding and communication between conventional health professionals and TCM practitioners and acupuncturists.