title: Acupuncture and Traditional Herbal Medicine Therapy Prevent Deliriumin Patients with Cardiovascular Disease in Intensive Care Units.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of combination therapy consisting of acupuncture and traditional herbal medicine (Kampo medicine) for reducing the incidence rate of delirium in patients with cardiovascular (CV) disease in ICUs. Twenty-nine patients who had been urgently admitted to the ICU in the control period were treated with conventional intensive care. Thirty patients in the treatment period received conventional therapy plus a combination therapy consisting of acupuncture and herbal medicine. Acupuncture treatment was performed once a day, and the herbal formula was administered orally three times a day during the first week of the ICU stay. The standard acupuncture points were GV20, Ex-HN3, HT7, LI4, Liv3, and KI3, and the main herbal preparation was Kamikihito. The incident rates of delirium, assessed using the confusion assessment method for ICU, in the treatment and control period were compared. The incidence rate of delirium was significantly lower in the treatment group than in the control group (6.6% vs. 37.9%, [Formula: see text]). Moreover, sedative drugs and non-pharmacological approaches against aggressive behavior of patients who were delirious were used less in the treatment group than in the control group. No serious adverse events were observed in the treatment group. Combination therapy consisting of acupuncture and herbal medicine was found to be effective in lowering the incidence of delirium in patients with CV disease in ICUs. Further studies with a large sample size and parallel randomized controlled design would be required to establish the effects of this therapy.
authors.affiliation: * Department of Cardiology, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Matsumoto-Miyazaki
authors.affiliation: * Department of Cardiology, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan.|‡ Advanced Critical Care Center, Gifu University Hospital, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ushikoshi
authors.affiliation: * Department of Cardiology, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan.|‡ Advanced Critical Care Center, Gifu University Hospital, Gifu, Japan.|§ Department of Cardiology, Gifu Municipal Hospital, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Shusaku
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miyata
authors.affiliation: * Department of Cardiology, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan.|¶ Department of Internal Medicine, Asahi University, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Nagisa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.affiliation: * Department of Cardiology, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Takahide
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nawa
authors.affiliation: † Department of Emergency and Disaster Medicine, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan.|‡ Advanced Critical Care Center, Gifu University Hospital, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.affiliation: * Department of Cardiology, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan.|‡ Advanced Critical Care Center, Gifu University Hospital, Gifu, Japan.|§ Department of Cardiology, Gifu Municipal Hospital, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinsuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ojio
authors.affiliation: † Department of Emergency and Disaster Medicine, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan.|‡ Advanced Critical Care Center, Gifu University Hospital, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ogura
authors.affiliation: * Department of Cardiology, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Minatoguchi
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000374:Aggression; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003693:Delirium / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C073747:kamikihi-to
keywords: Acupuncture; Cardiovascular Disease; Delirium; Herbal Medicine; Intensive Care Unit