Cellulitis after SIMPLE- (or ELECTRO-) AP versus after INJECTION-AP

[Guest guest]

Hi Jean & All,

 

Jean wrote:

> I have not seen cellulitis after acupuncture. Maybe it happens in

> humans, were the skin are more delicate. Greetings from Brazil, Jean

 

Jean, I understand that cellulitis is very rare after AP in humans. Indeed,

Medling has only ONE reference to cellulitis due to AP. See:

 

Acupunct Med. 2001 Dec;19(2):84-92. Survey of adverse events

following acupuncture (SAFA): a prospective study of 32,000

consultations. White A, Hayhoe S, Hart A, Ernst E; BMAS and AACP.

British Medical Acupuncture Society and Acupuncture Association of

Chartered Physiotherapists. University of Exeter. a.r.white

Acupuncture is increasingly used, so it is important to establish whether

its benefits outweigh its risks. Numerous case reports of adverse events

show that acupuncture is not free of risk, but accurate data from

prospective investigations is scarce. A prospective survey was

undertaken using intensive event monitoring. Forms were developed for

reporting minor events each month and significant events as they

occurred. The sample size was calculated to identify any adverse

events that occurred more frequently than once in 10,000 consultations.

Acupuncturists were recruited from two professional organisations in

the UK. Seventy-eight acupuncturists, all doctors or physiotherapists,

reported a total of 2178 events occurring in 31,822 consultations, an

incidence of 684 per 10,000 consultations. The most common minor

adverse events were bleeding, needling pain, and aggravation of

symptoms; aggravation was followed by resolution of symptoms in 70%

of cases. There were 43 significant minor adverse events reported, a

rate of 14 per 10,000, of which 13 (30%) interfered with daily activities.

One patient suffered a seizure (probably reflex anoxic) during

acupuncture, but no adverse event was classified as serious. Avoidable

events included forgotten patients, needles left in patients, cellulitis and

moxa burns. In conclusion, the incidence of adverse events following

acupuncture performed by doctors and physiotherapists can be

classified as minimal; some avoidable events do occur. Acupuncture

seems, in skilled hands, one of the safer forms of medical intervention.

PMID: 11829164 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

 

In >30 years of using simple- (traditional or electro-) AP in animals and

humans, I have not had a single case of cellulitis.

 

The two cases that I described earlier (both in horses) were after

INJECTION-AP. I am convinced that both of those horses were

immunocompromised before treatment because almost every point that

I injected became infected. I had used the technique in many horses

without problems before that, but the bad outcome in those two cases

made me fearful to use it since then.

 

 

 

Best regards,

 

 

Tel: (H): +353-(0) or (M): +353-(0)

 

 

 

 

Ireland.

Tel: (W): +353-(0) or (M): +353-(0)

 

 

 

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