Acupuncture Compared with Intramuscular Injection of Neostigmine for Postpartum Urinary Retention: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Table 1

Features of the included studies.

Study ID	Sample size	Cause	Age (years)	Treatment versus control	Outcome
Bao and Yuan 2010 [11]	50	10 h–5 d after delivery	21–37	Acupuncture group: the needles were punctured into acupoints including guanyuan, zhongji, bilateral zusanli, sanyinjiao, and taixi and retained for 20 min; the needles were punctured into acupoints including shenshu, sanjiao, and weiyang and retained for 10 min. The procedure was performed on a daily basis for 3 days; Control group: intramuscular injection of neostigmine 1 mg, qd for 3 days	ER, AE
Chen and Zheng 2012 [12]	65	Inability to urinate after a single catheterization procedure	20–36	Electroacupuncture group: the needles were inserted into acupoints including taiji, qihai, bilateral shuidao, and daju and retained for 30 min (once); Control group: intramuscular injection of neostigmine 1 mg (once)	ER, AE
Chen 2007 [13]	80	Within 3 days after delivery	T: (21–34); C: (22–35)	Electroacupuncture group: the needles were inserted into acupoints including zhongji, qugu, zusanli, and sanyinjiao and retained for 30 min (once or twice); Control group: intramuscular injection of neostigmine 0.25 mg (once)	ER
Gao 2011 [14]	50	Inability to urinate within 8 hours after delivery	N/A	Electroacupuncture group: the needles were inserted into acupoints including hegu, neiguan, sanyinjiao, and yinlingquan and retained for 30 min (once daily for three days); Control group: intramuscular injection of neostigmine 1 mg, qd or bid for 3 days	ER, AE
Hu 2015 [15]	60	1–5 days after delivery	20–35	Acupuncture group: the needles were inserted into acupoints including yinjiao, shimen, guanyuan, zhongji, tianshu, wailing, daju, shuidao, sanyinjiao, and taichong and retained for 30 min (twice daily for 2 days); Control group: intramuscular injection of neostigmine 1 mg (once)	ER, PVR, AE, UT
Kang 2012 [16]	40	4–6 hours after delivery	T: (); C: ()	Electroacupuncture group: the needles were inserted into acupoints including zhongwan, tianshu, guanyuan, zhongji, yinlingquan, sanyinjiao, and zusanli and retained for 30 min (once); Control group: intramuscular injection of neostigmine 0.5 mg (once)	ER
Li 2009 [17]	46	5–10 days after delivery	20–31	Acupuncture group: the needles were inserted into acupoints including baihui, zhongji, zusanli, and sanyinjiao and retained for 30 min (qd for 3 days); Control group: intramuscular injection of neostigmine 0.5–1 mg, qd for 3 days	ER
Lu 2007 [18]	84	6–14 hours after delivery	T: (21~39); C: (22~38)	Acupuncture group: the needles were inserted into acupoints including ququan, sanyinjiao, and zusanli and retained for 30 min (twice daily for 3 days); Control group: intramuscular injection of neostigmine 0.5 mg, qm for 3 days	ER
Ning and Zhang 2013 [19]	60	6–8 hours after delivery	T: (); C: ()	Acupuncture group: the needles were inserted into acupoints including shuidao, zhongji, guanyuan, sanyinjiao, and zhiyin and retained for 30 min (once daily for 3 days); Control group: intramuscular injection of neostigmine 0.5–1 mg, qd for 3 days	ER
Teng 2017 [20]	66	4–6 hours after delivery	T: (); C: ()	Electroacupuncture group: the needles were inserted into acupoints including shuifen, yinlingquan, sanyinjiao, and zusanli and retained for 30 min (once); Control group: intramuscular injection of neostigmine 0.5 mg (once)	ER, AE
Wang 2014 [21]	60	1–5 days after delivery	T: (); C: ()	Electroacupuncture group: the needles were inserted into acupoints including zhongwan, xiawan, qihai, guanyuan, zhongji, shuidao, and sanyinjiao and retained for 25 min (once); Control group: intramuscular injection of neostigmine 1 mg (once)	ER
Wu 2004 [22]	90	Inability to urinate within 8 hours after delivery	22–42	Acupuncture group: the needles were inserted into acupoints including zusanli and neiguan and retained for 20 min (once); Control group: intramuscular injection of neostigmine 1 mg (once)	ER, PVR, AE
Wu 2005 [23]	56	1–5 days after delivery	T: (24~46); C: (23~45)	Electroacupuncture group: the needles were inserted into acupoints including zhongji, guanyuan, qihai, zusanli, yinlingquan, and sanyinjiao and retained for 20 min (once daily for 5 days); Control group: intramuscular injection of neostigmine 1 mg, qd for 5 days	ER
You 2003 [24]	68	1–8 days after delivery	T: (22~47); C: (21~48)	Acupuncture group: the needles were inserted into acupoints including shenmen, jiaogan, pizhixia, sanjiao, pangguang, waishengzhiqi, and niaodao and retained for 5–10 min (1–3 times daily); Control group: intramuscular injection of neostigmine 0.5 mg (bid)	ER
Zhao and Yue 2001 [25]	78	6–14 hours after delivery	T: (); C: ()	Acupuncture group: the needles were inserted into acupoints including liniao, zhongji, yinlingquan, sanyinjiao, and fuliu and retained for 30 min (once); Control group: intramuscular injection of neostigmine 1 mg (once)	ER, AE

Note. ER: effectiveness rate; PVR, postvoiding residual; UT, urination time; AE, adverse event.