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Bioelectromagnetics May 2008According to conventional wisdom within the acupuncture community, acupuncture points and meridians are special conduits for electrical signals. This view gained... (Review)
Review
According to conventional wisdom within the acupuncture community, acupuncture points and meridians are special conduits for electrical signals. This view gained popularity after anecdotal reports and clinical studies asserted that these anatomical structures are characterized by lower electrical impedance compared to adjacent controls. To ascertain whether evidence exists to support or refute this claim, we conducted a systematic review of studies directly evaluating the electrical characteristics of acupuncture structures and appropriate controls. We searched seven electronic databases until August 2007, hand-searched references, and consulted technical experts. We limited the review to primary data human studies published in English. A quality scoring system was created and employed for this review. A total of 16 articles representing 18 studies met inclusion criteria: 9 examining acupuncture points and 9 examining meridians. Five out of 9 point studies showed positive association between acupuncture points and lower electrical resistance and impedance, while 7 out of 9 meridian studies showed positive association between acupuncture meridians and lower electrical impedance and higher capacitance. The studies were generally poor in quality and limited by small sample size and multiple confounders. Based on this review, the evidence does not conclusively support the claim that acupuncture points or meridians are electrically distinguishable. However, the preliminary findings are suggestive and offer future directions for research based on in-depth interpretation of the data.
Topics: Acupuncture Points; Electric Impedance; Electroacupuncture; Humans; Meridians; Models, Biological
PubMed: 18240287
DOI: 10.1002/bem.20403 -
Journal of Vascular Surgery Jul 2006We compared pooled estimates of event rates for amputations, conduit failures, reinfections, early mortalities, and late mortalities in patients with aortic graft... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study Meta-Analysis Review
OBJECTIVE
We compared pooled estimates of event rates for amputations, conduit failures, reinfections, early mortalities, and late mortalities in patients with aortic graft infection who were treated by extra-anatomic bypass, rifampicin-bonded prostheses, cryopreserved allografts, or autogenous veins.
METHODS
A systematic review was conducted of English language reports in MEDLINE back to 1985 and a meta-analysis was performed on the results. Studies were selected on the basis of medical subject headings aortic, graft, and infection, and also by a standardized and independent quality rating. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were met by 37 clinical studies. Pooled estimates of mean event rates for amputations, conduit failures, reinfections, early (< or =30 day) mortalities, and late (>30 days) mortalities were determined for each treatment modality. Tests of heterogeneity and sensitivity analyses were performed.
RESULTS
Fixed effect analyses, derived after tests of heterogeneity, yielded overall pooled estimates of mean event rates for all outcomes combined of 0.16 for extra-anatomic bypass, 0.07 for rifampicin-bonded prostheses, 0.09 for cryopreserved allografts, and 0.10 for autogenous vein; a lower value signifies fewer overall events associated with the treatment modality. Overall, the robustness of our meta-analysis was demonstrated by the reasonable heterogeneity of pooled data from individual studies (Q statistic <25; P >.1 for all treatment outcomes across all modalities) and the limited variability of outcomes after sensitivity analyses.
CONCLUSION
Although limited by the design of individual published studies whose data were pooled together in this meta-analysis, our results lead to questions concerning whether extra-anatomic bypass should remain the gold standard for treatment of aortic graft infection.
Topics: Antibiotics, Antitubercular; Aortic Diseases; Blood Vessel Prosthesis; Blood Vessels; Cryopreservation; Humans; Prosthesis-Related Infections; Rifampin; Transplantation, Autologous; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 16828424
DOI: 10.1016/j.jvs.2006.02.053