Review Article

Adverse Events of Acupuncture: A Systematic Review of Case Reports

Table 2

Infections associated with acupuncture (48 cases).

First author/year
(references)
CountryCases age/sexDisease treatedPunctured site DiagnosisPractitioner Followup time

Origuchi 2000 [9]Japan67/MNot statedNot statedInfectious aortic aneurysmNot specifiedRecovered (≥8 d)
Ishibe 2001 [10]Japan 13/MLBP #Not stated Septic arthritisAcupuncturistRecovered (1 wk)
Woo 2001 [11]HK79/FKnee OAGB38* (leg)Mycobacterium chelonae Not specifiedRecovered (3 wk)
Nambiar 2001 [12]UK42/FLBP #Not stated Endocarditis Not specified Recovered (?)
Shah 2002 [13]UK37/MTendonitis BL57* (leg)StreptococcusNot specifiedRecovered (?)
Leavy 2002 [14]USA33/MHip painLow limbStaphylococcus aureus Not specifiedRecovered (6 wk)
Laing 2002 [15]Ireland45/FPostoperative recoveryAround tibia Staphylococcus aureus strain sensitive to methicillin (in knee joint)Practitioner Recovered (6 wk)
Uchino 2002 [16]Japan47/FWeight loss EarlobesInfected left atrial myxoma (Gram-positive)Not specified Recovered (after surgery)
Woo 2003 [17]HK73/MLBPBackStaphylococcus Not specifiedRecovered (5 wk)
Ara 2003 [18]Spain 58/FObesity Abdomen Mycobacterium  chelonae Not specified Recovered (3 mo)
Cho 2003 [19]Korea 56/MRight flank discomfort Not stated Klebsiella pneumoniae Not specified Recovered (?)
Kettaneh 2003 [20]France 70/FNot stated Face Facial erysipelas PhysiotherapistRecovered (4 wk)
Wiwanitkit 2003 [6]Thailand 60/Fmuscle painNot stated HIVNon-MD Not stated
Ha 2003 [21]Korea 68/FLBP Back StaphylococcusNot specified Recovered (4 mo)
Lin 2003 [22]Australia44/FNot stated Thigh Tissue abscess and osteomyelitis Not specified Recovered (?)
Daivajna 2004 [23]UK48/FLBPLow back Septic arthritis Not specified Recovered (3 wk)
Studd 2004 [24] Australia 64/FEpigastric painAbdomen (embedded needles)Intra-abdominal abscess Not specified Recovered (3 wk)
Kim 2004 [25]Canada 50/MLBPLower back Discitis from staphylococcusAcupuncturist Recovered (?)
Saw 2004 [26]Malaysia55/FKnee OAKneeNecrotizing fasciitis Not specified Recovered (?)
Chen 2004 [27]Taiwan44/MNuchal and subscapular painCervical paraspinal and medial scapular regionStaphylococcus aureus Not specifiedRecovered (5 mo)
Vucicevic 2005 [28]Croatia 53/FShoulder stiffness Shoulder and armStaphylococcus pleural empyemaNot specified Recovered (6 wk)
Bang 2005 [29]Korea64/MLBPLumbar paraspinal musclesEscherichia coli Not specifiedParaplegic
Seeley 2006 [30]USA31/MHip painBip, thighStaphylococcus bacteraemia TCM doctor Recovered (4 wk)
Simmons 2006 [8]Scotland 69/MKnee pain SP10* (knee)Cellulitis, septicemia, and pneumonia Not statedDeath due to renal failure
Tien 2008 [31]Taiwan78/MKnee RAKnee Listeria monocytogenes Septic arthritis AcupuncturistRecovered (3 wk)
Morgan 2008 [32]USA16/FWeight lossAuricularPseudomonas aeruginosa Acupuncture parlorRecovered (21 d)
Lee 2008 [33]Korea79/MLBPBack Escherichia coli and MRSA Not specified Recovered (76 d)
Hwang 2008 [34]Korea 25/FLBPBackPneumoretroperitoneumOMDRecovered (1 wk)
Jeong 2009 [35] Korea24/F Weight loss Both arms Factitial panniculitisNot specifiedRecovered (?)
22/FWeight lossAbdomen Factitial panniculitisNot specifiedRecovered (?)
Hwang 2008 [36]Korea25/FLBPNot stated Pneumoretroperitoneum Licensed OMD Recovered (7 d)
Wu 2009 [37]Taiwan12/MNeurologic sequelae of encephalitisHeadPott’s puffy tumor from pseudomonas Not specified Recovered (8 wk)
Woo 2009 [38]HK43/FKnee painKnee MRSANot specifiedRecovered (3 mo)
Ogasawara 2009 [39] Japan50/FLBPLower backSeptic arthritis
(MRSA)
Not specified Recovered (70 d)
Guevara-Patiño 2010 [40]Venezuela 23/FNot stated Not stated NTM Not specified Recovered (6 mo)
Nakajima 2010 [41]Japan 60/FKnee painNeedles embedded at kneeEnterococcus faecalis knee infectionNot specified Recovered (1 y)
Winter 2010 [42]USA21/FObesity Auricular
Auricular cellulitisAcupuncturistRecovered (2 d)
30/MObesityAuricularAuricular cellulitis Acupuncturist Recovered (1 wk)
Kim 2010 [43]Korea 53/FLBPLower back Psoas abscessNot specified Recovered (2 wk)
Cho 2010 [44]Korea59/FNot stated Abdomen, thighMycobacterium skin infection Not specified Recovered (3 mo)
77/M
Not stated
Back and abdomen
Cutaneous tuberculosis infectionIllegal treatmentRecovered (1 y)
Kim 2010 [7]Korea72/F
Not stated
Back, shoulder, and right thigh Cutaneous tuberculosis infectionIllegal treatmentRecovered (9 mo)
75/FNot stated Back and thighCutaneous tuberculosis infectionIllegal treatmentRecovered (9 mo)
Macuha 2010 [45]USA84/MOsteoarthritis Left groinNecrotizing fasciitis
Not specified Recovered (2 mo)
Buckley 2011 [46]UK15/MEczemaAround the kneeStaphylococcus  aureus endocarditisNot specifiedRecovered (3 mo)
Kuo 2011 [47] Taiwan 57/MLBPBilateral paraspinal musclesMRSANot specifiedRecovered (2 mo)
Castro-Silva 2011 [48]Brazil 59/MAnkle pain Limb Mycobacterium haemophilum infection Not specified Recovered (4 mo)
Hsieh 2011 [49] Taiwan44/FCalf painCalfNecrotizing fasciitisTCM doctorRecovered (21 d)

MRSA: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infection.
NTM: nontuberculous mycobacterial skin infection.
*Acupuncture points.