Treatment of intradialytic hypotension with an herbal acupoint therapy in hemodialysis patients: A randomized pilot study.

Ming-Yen Tsai, Chien-Hsing Wu, Yu-Chuen Huang, Shih-Yu Chen, Hwee-Yeong Ng, Yu-Jen Su, Yung-Hsiang Chen

Journal: Complementary therapies in medicine 2018;38():67-73

PMID: 29857882

Full Text on Elsevier Science View on PubMed

Abstract

OBJECTIVE

Hypotension during hemodialysis (HD) is the most common complication that negatively affects the quality of life of patients. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the preliminary efficacy and safety of herbal acupoint therapy (HAT) for intradialytic hypotension (IDH).

METHODS

A randomized, placebo-controlled trial was performed in 32 HD patients to determine whether HAT was more effective than a sham treatment for the treatment of IDH. The outcomes were frequency of IDH episodes and number of nursing interventions during HD sessions, pre- and post-dialysis BP, subjective change in fatigue as measured by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and recovery time from fatigue after dialysis at the 0th and 4th week. Data analyses were performed using per-protocol population.

RESULTS

In all, 27 patients (84%) completed the entire study. At the end of the intervention, the patients in the HAT group were found to have a significantly lower frequency of IDH episodes, fewer nursing interventions, a lower intervention failure rate, and earlier discontinuation of dialysis than those in the sham group (p < .05). The improvement in degree of fatigue (p = .001) was greater and recovery time from fatigue after dialysis (p = .03) was shorter in the group treated with HAT than in the sham group. HAT was safe, with 2 withdrawal cases due to local erythema caused by the patch.

CONCLUSIONS

HAT appears to be safe and efficacious for improving IDH-related symptoms and intervention in HD patients. Larger studies are needed to confirm the benefit of this technique for IDH.

Address: Graduate Institute of Integrated Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, Chinese Medicine Research Center, Research Center for Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan; Department of Chinese Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, 83301, Taiwan. Electronic address: [email protected].; Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, 83301, Taiwan.; Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital and School of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, 41354, Taiwan.; School of Chinese Medicine for Post Baccalaureate, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, 82445, Taiwan.; Graduate Institute of Integrated Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, Chinese Medicine Research Center, Research Center for Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan; Department of Psychology, College of Medical and Health Science, Asia University, Taichung, 41354, Taiwan. Electronic address: [email protected].

DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2018.04.007

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MeSH Terms: Acupuncture Points, Adult, Aged, Female, Humans, Hypotension, Male, Middle Aged, Moxibustion, Phytotherapy, Pilot Projects, Renal Dialysis