Acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy for sepsis: Advantages, limitations, and strategies

针刺作为一种传统医学疗法, 其有效性已得到大量科学验证.近年来, 随着对针刺在炎症调节作用机制的深入研究, 针刺对脓毒症的科学研究也得到了有效的科学证实.本文探讨了针刺在脓毒症治疗中的临床效果与作用机制, 并分析了当前其作为辅助治疗手段的局限性,潜在优势与今后优化的策略.在基础研究方面, 研究人员发现针刺通过调控免疫炎症反应和自主神经系统治疗脓毒症.在临床研究方面, 多个随机对照试验结果表明, 针刺可作为脓毒症的有效辅助治疗方式, 能够改善患者器官功能障碍,降低死亡率, 并提高生活质量.针刺在治疗脓毒症上的局限性体现在:其科学问题有待进一步完善,临床应用转化不足以及缺乏相应标准.同时, 在现阶段, 针刺主要是作为辅助手段对脓毒症进行干预, 尚不能独立用于脓毒症的治疗.因此, 本文作者提出未来需更多高质量研究, 提高针刺治疗脓毒症的地位并推动其临床应用标准化, 以充分挖掘针刺在脓毒症治疗中的潜在作用. Acupuncture is a traditional medical therapy widely validated in scientific research. Recent advancements have deepened our understanding of their mechanisms, particularly in the regulation of inflammatory responses. In recent years, with in-depth research on the mechanisms through which acupuncture regulates inflammation, scientific studies on the use of acupuncture for sepsis have also been conducted. This paper reviews relevant studies to summarize the clinical efficacy and mechanisms of acupuncture in treating sepsis and analyzes the current limitations, potential advantages, and optimization strategies for acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy. Based on the findings of basic research, we found that acupuncture regulates immune-inflammatory responses and the autonomic nervous system, offering crucial insights that serve as the primary scientific basis for acupuncture in sepsis treatment. In clinical research, results from multiple randomized controlled trials indicate that acupuncture is an effective adjuvant therapy for sepsis, which alleviates multi-organ dysfunction, reduces mortality, and enhances the quality of life. However, acupuncture for sepsis has limitations, such as incomplete scientific issues, insufficient clinical application, and lack of standardization. Currently, acupuncture primarily serves as adjunctive therapy and cannot be used independently for the treatment of sepsis. Therefore, we believes that high-quality research is needed to elevate the therapeutic status of acupuncture in sepsis management, and we should promote the standardization of its clinical application to fully leverage the potential value of acupuncture for sepsis.