Acupuncture-induced haemothorax: a rare iatrogenic complication of acupuncture

Acupuncture in Medicine : Journal of the British Medical Acupuncture Society
Miltiades Y KaravisThedosios Theodosopoulos

Abstract

This paper reports a rare iatrogenic complication of acupuncture-induced haemothorax and comments on the importance and need for special education of physicians and physiotherapists in order to apply safe and effective acupuncture treatment. A 37-year-old healthy woman had a session of acupuncture treatments for neck and right upper thoracic non-specific musculoskeletal pain, after which she gradually developed dyspnoea and chest discomfort. After some delay while trying other treatment, she was eventually transferred to the emergency department where a chest X-ray revealed a right pneumothorax and fluid collection. She was admitted to hospital and a chest tube inserted into the right hemithorax (under ultrasound guidance) drained 800 mL of bloody fluid (haematocrit (Hct) 17.8%) in 24 h and 1200 mL over the following 3 days. Her blood Hct fell from 39.0% to 30.8% and haemoglobin from 12.7 to 10.3 g/dL. The patient recovered completely and was discharged after 9 days of hospitalisation. When dyspnoea, chest pain and discomfort occur during or after an acupuncture treatment, the possibility of secondary (traumatic) pneumo- or haemopneumothorax should be considered and the patient should remain under careful observation (watchful ...Continue Reading

References

Oct 11, 2003·Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology·E Ernst, K J Sherman
Nov 24, 2004·Acupuncture in Medicine : Journal of the British Medical Acupuncture Society·Adrian White
Jul 11, 2006·Current Opinion in Pulmonary Medicine·Calvin Sh Ng, Anthony Pc Yim
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Mar 29, 2014·Acupuncture in Medicine : Journal of the British Medical Acupuncture Society·Kenneth Qiao Wei Tan, Atasha Asmat

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Citations

Dec 31, 2015·Acupuncture in Medicine : Journal of the British Medical Acupuncture Society
Apr 21, 2018·BMJ Case Reports·Nurashikin Mohammad
Oct 19, 2019·ANZ Journal of Surgery·Abid F KhanIan Campbell
Jun 14, 2019·BMJ Case Reports·Sofia Costa CoradoJosé Rodrigues Baltazar

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