Battlefield acupuncture instead of opioids for abscess drainage in the pediatric emergency department

Shiu-Lin Tsai; Thomas D Christie; Richard C Niemtzow

doi:10.1016/j.ajem.2021.12.016

Battlefield acupuncture instead of opioids for abscess drainage in the pediatric emergency department

Am J Emerg Med. 2022 Mar:53:12-15. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2021.12.016. Epub 2021 Dec 14.

Authors

Shiu-Lin Tsai¹, Thomas D Christie², Richard C Niemtzow³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Emergency Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, 622 West 168th Street, VC 2-260, New York, NY 10032, USA. Electronic address: st166@cumc.columbia.edu.
² Hunter College, City University of New York, 695 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA. Electronic address: thomas.christie05@myhunter.cuny.edu.
³ United States Air Force Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine Center, Joint Base Andrews, MD 20762, USA.

PMID: 34968969
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajem.2021.12.016

Abstract

Procedural analgesia with opioids is often needed during incision and drainage (I/D) of pilonidal or large abscesses in the pediatric emergency department (PED). In response to the ongoing opioid misuse pandemic, the Joint Commission has mandated that nonpharmacologic therapies be offered to patients for pain first. Battlefield Acupuncture (BFA) is an auricular acupuncture protocol that is drug free, can achieve rapid pain relief, and is used in the United States military. BFA for painful procedures in the PED has not been reported. We describe 4 cases where BFA was utilized in a PED for pain during I/D of abscesses.

Keywords: Auricular Acupuncture; Battlefield Acupuncture; Incision/Drainage abscess; Pain; Pediatric Emergency Department; Pediatrics.

MeSH terms

Abscess / surgery
Acupuncture Therapy* / methods
Analgesics, Opioid* / therapeutic use
Child
Drainage
Emergency Service, Hospital
Humans
Pain
United States

Substances

Analgesics, Opioid