Wake-Promoting Effect of Bloodletting Puncture at Hand Twelve Jing-Well Points in Acute Stroke Patients: A Multi-center Randomized Controlled Trial / 中国结合医学杂志

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE@#To assess the effect and safety of bloodletting puncture at hand twelve Jing-Well points (HTWPs) in acute stroke patients with conscious disturbance.@*METHODS@#In this multi-center and randomized controlled trial, 360 patients suffered from ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke with conscious disturbance within 48 h from the onset of symptom were divided into bloodletting (180 cases) and control (180 cases) groups using a block randomization. Patients in both groups received routine Western medicine, and patients in the bloodletting group received additional bloodletting puncture at HTWPs on admission immediately before conventional treatment. The primary outcome measure was Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score and the secondary outcomes included blood pressure, respiratory rate and pulse rate. All variables were evaluated at baseline (before bloodletting), 0 (after bloodletting immediately), 15, 30, 50 and 80 min post bloodletting.@*RESULTS@#At 80 min post bloodletting, the proportion of patients with improved consciousness in the bloodletting group was greater than the control group (P0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The bloodletting puncture at HTWPs was safe and could improve conscious levels of ischemic stroke patients, highlighting a first-aid intervention for acute stroke. (Registration No. ChiCTR-INR-16009530).