Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35105558›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2022

Efficacy of acupuncture treatment for chronic spontaneous urticaria: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Qianhua Zheng, Hui Zheng, Siyuan Zhou, Yunzhou Shi, Leixiao Zhang, Xianjun Xiao, Wei Zhang, Li Zhou, Ying Huang, Mingling Chen and 3 more

Open access · goldAbstract readClinical Trial Protocol
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 25% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Traditional Chinese Medicine for Pediatric Allergic Diseases.Current allergy and asthma reports · 2025
    Review
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Qianhua Zheng *Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.ORCID 0000-0001-5489-7034
Hui Zheng *Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.ORCID 0000-0002-0494-1217
Siyuan ZhouAcupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Yunzhou ShiAcupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.ORCID 0000-0002-7560-3290
Leixiao ZhangAcupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.ORCID 0000-0002-8117-6213
Xianjun XiaoAcupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Wei ZhangAcupuncture, Tuina and Rehabilitation Department, The First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Li ZhouDepartment of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Wuhan Hospital of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Ying HuangDermatology Department, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Mingling ChenDermatology Department, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.ORCID 0000-0002-8879-0857
Feng ZhongAcupuncture, Tuina and Rehabilitation Department, The First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Chuan WangDepartment of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Wuhan Hospital of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Ying LiGraduate School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China liying@cdutcm.edu.cn.ORCID 0000-0001-7554-0958
Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine · CNHunan University · CNWuhan No.1 Hospital · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionChronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is a troublesome dermatological problem that can have a significant impact on quality of life. Previous studies have indicated that acupuncture may be beneficial for patients with CSU. However, well-designed studies determine the effects of acupuncture on CSU are rare. The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture treatment for patients with CSU. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This study is designed as a multicentre, parallel, three-arm, randomised, sham-controlled trial. A total of 330 patients diagnosed as CSU will be randomly allocated into three groups: the verum acupuncture group, the sham acupuncture group and the waiting-list control group in a 1:1:1 ratio. Patients in the verum and sham acupuncture groups will receive 16 treatment sessions over 4 weeks, while patients in the waiting-list control group will not receive any acupuncture treatment. The primary outcome is the changes of weekly urticaria activity scores at the end of treatment. Secondary outcomes include itching severity measurement, Dermatology Life Quality Index, Hamilton Depression Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and serum total IgE level. Adverse events will be recorded during the study observation period. All patients who are randomised in this study will be included in the intention-to-treat analysis. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval of this study has been granted by the Sichuan Regional Ethics Review of Committee on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) (ID: 2019 kl-006), the Medical Ethic Committee of the First Hospital of Wuhan (ID: (2019) number 7)) and the Medical Ethics Committee of the First Hospital of Hunan University of TCM (ID: HN-LLKY-2019-017-01/03) in three clinical centres in China, respectively. The results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR1900022994.

Indexed as

Acupuncture TherapyChronic UrticariaHumansMedicine, Chinese TraditionalMulticenter Studies as TopicQuality of LifeRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTreatment Outcomeclinical trialscomplementary medicinedermatology

Identifiers

PMID35105558
PMCPMC8808388
OpenAlexW4210553288

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.