Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42490017›Full record

ArticleCurrent medical science2026

Electroacupuncture as Adjunctive Therapy for Organ Dysfunction Among Chinese ICU Patients with Sepsis: Study Protocol for a Randomized Clinical Trial.

Qi Meng, Ling-Ling Yu, Xiang-Hong Jing, Man Li, Qian-Rui Huang, Ting-Ting Xu, Yi Bian, Shu-Sheng Li

Registry-linked trialAbstract readClinical Trial Protocol
In one paragraph

Article in Current medical science, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06666946 (Efficacy and Safety Study of Early Electroacupuncture Treatment Combined With ICU Standard Therapy on Organ Dysfunction and Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Sepsis), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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.

NCT06666946 narecruitingnot on this map

Efficacy and Safety Study of Early Electroacupuncture Treatment Combined With ICU Standard Therapy on Organ Dysfunction and Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Sepsis: a Single-center, Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorShusheng LiRan2025 to 2026Enrolled308ConditionsSepsisArmsElectroacupuncture, Sham electroacupuncture
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

8 authors.

Qi Meng *Department of Critical Care Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
Ling-Ling Yu *Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
Xiang-Hong JingInstitute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100007, China.
Man LiSchool of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
Qian-Rui HuangDepartment of Critical Care Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
Ting-Ting XuDepartment of Critical Care Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
Yi BianDepartment of Critical Care Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China. bianyi2526@163.com.
Shu-Sheng LiDepartment of Critical Care Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China. lishusheng@hust.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1256-3815

Funding

China Primary Health Care Foundation YLGX-ZZ-2020001National Key Research and Development Program of China 2022YFC3500704
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSepsis is a dysregulated response of the host to infection that can lead to life-threatening organ dysfunction and remains a leading cause of mortality. Early recovery of impaired organ function is crucial for the outcomes of sepsis. Electroacupuncture (EA) is a promising adjunctive therapy for sepsis, but no study has focused on the efficacy of EA for organ dysfunction. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of EA in improving organ dysfunction among intensive care unit (ICU) patients with sepsis.

methodsIn this single-center, randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial, an adaptive sample size of 154-500 patients diagnosed with sepsis will be included. Eligible patients will be randomly assigned to receive EA or sham EA treatment at a 1:1 ratio using block randomization. Patients in the two groups will receive 6 consecutive sessions of 30-min EA or sham EA treatment, with the initial acupuncture treatment being completed within 24 h after randomization. The primary outcome is the change in the total score of the Sepsis-Related Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) on day 7 after randomization compared with baseline. Secondary outcomes include changes in the SOFA score and related serological outcomes, mortality, ICU-free days, hospital-free days and organ support-free days from baseline to day 28. Statistical analyses will be performed on a full analysis set (FAS) and a per-protocol set (PPS). DISCUSSION: We expect the findings of this trial to provide evidence that the use of EA as an adjunctive therapy to ICU treatment can promote the recovery of organ function and other outcomes in sepsis patients.

trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT06666946. Registered on 28 October 2024.

Indexed as

ElectroacupunctureMultiple Organ FailureSepsisAdultChinaEast Asian PeopleFemaleHumansIntensive Care UnitsMaleMiddle AgedOrgan Dysfunction ScoresRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTreatment OutcomeElectroacupunctureInflammationOrgan dysfunctionRandomized controlled trialSepsis

Identifiers

PMID42490017
PMCPMC13503491

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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.