Acupressure in Hospitalized Pediatric Oncology Patients with Febrile Neutropenia - A Pilot Study
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia during cancer therapy may lead to treatment delays, chemotherapy dose reduction, and life-threatening infections. Acupuncture and related techniques have received increased interest in adult oncology resulting in improved blood cell counts in several clinical trials. Methods: This case disease matched historical control pilot study sought to evaluate the effects of daily acupressure treatment in increasing the absolute neutrophil count of hospitalized pediatric oncology patients with febrile neutropenia. Twelve patients were enrolled with a median age of 15.8 years. Results: All enrolled patients received daily acupressure treatments and none experienced treatment-related adverse events. There was no trend towards decreased days to blood cell count recovery (p=0.352) and length of stay (p=0.431) in cases as compared to controls. This pilot study, comparing cases and matched historical controls, supports the feasibility of acupressure as a safe and accessible method of supportive care for pediatric oncology patients. Conclusions: Further studies are needed to explore the role for and efficacy of acupressure to support blood cell count recovery in pediatric oncology.References
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