Acupuncture for Acute Viral Lower Respiratory Infection in Hospitalized Children: A Single Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial

Acute viral respiratory infections are among the most common causes of hospitalization in the pediatric population. The usual presentation of viral respiratory tract infections (VRTI) includes fever, malaise, wheezing and or coughing, rhinorrhea and loss of appetite. Up to 50% of children will have at least one viral-induced wheezing illness by school age. Currently treatment of VRTI is essentially supportive and no specific and efficient treatments are known. Given the lack of effective medications, current treatment for severe viral lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) in infants relies on supportive measures only. These measures include supplementation of oxygen, monitoring of apnea, nasal/gastric tube feeding or intravenous fluids, and, if required, respiratory support with nasal bi-level positive-airway pressure. VTRI therefore represent an important unmet need for improved treatment strategies. Acupuncture's effect on has also been studied. Acupuncture has been shown to be a safe and effective in various respiratory tract inflammations. A review published in 2011 have found that acupuncture is safe for pediatric patients. Acupuncture's effect on acute viral induced wheezing and cough in hospitalized children has yet to be studied. Since the current standard of care is supportive care only, using acupuncture as an additional treatment may provide benefit in reducing wheezing, respiratory distress, and shorten hospitalization.