Bilateral tension pneumothorax after acupuncture

Abstract

Acupuncture is an ancient complementary medicine which is currently used worldwide. Many serious adverse events have been reported which include a spectrum of mild-to-fatal complications. However, the level of awareness with regard to complications is still low both to physicians and patients. We report a 63-year-old who presented with acute shortness of breath 2 hours after having had acupuncture. On examination, there was absent breath sound heard on the left lung and slightly reduced breath sound on the right lung. She had type 1 respiratory failure. Urgent chest radiograph confirmed bilateral pneumothorax which was more severe on the left with tension pneumothorax and mediastinal shift. Chest tubes were inserted bilaterally after failed needle aspiration attempts. Subsequently, the pneumothoraces resolved, and she was discharged well. The bilateral pneumothoraces caused by acupuncture were curable but could have been potentially fatal if diagnosis was delayed. This case report adds to the limited current literature on the complications of acupuncture leading to bilateral pneumothoraces.

Iatrogenic Pneumothorax during Acupuncture: Case Report

“…Healthcare professionals should maintain a high level of suspicion of hemothorax, pneumothorax, or both when a patient reports dyspnea, chest pain, or interscapular pain following acupuncture in the thoracic area [ 18 ]. Pneumothorax may require invasive intervention and ongoing monitoring because it has the potential to develop into a critical condition that may compromise cardiovascular function.…”

Masticator space abscess following intramuscular stimulation

“…Severe complications from needling techniques are rare but potentially life-threatening 14 17–20. In 2020, Boyce et al 8 looked at 20 464 dry needling treatments and found 7531 (36.7%) minor adverse events and 20 (<0.1%) major adverse events, including six cases of prolonged symptom aggravation, four cases of fainting, three cases of forgotten needles, two cases of influenza like symptoms, two cases of infection, one case of excessive bleeding, one case of lower limb weakness and one case of numbness.…”

Pneumothorax after acupuncture

“…Pneumothorax is the most common of the serious adverse events and is likely to go unreported7 although some can be as critical as bilateral pneumothorax 13–15…”