Evaluation of Reporting Quality in Randomised Controlled Trials of Acupuncture for Acute Herpes Zoster by the CONSORT Statement and STRICTA Guidelines

Table 2

Reporting quality of details of needling from STRICTA (n = 40).

Details of needling		No. of positive trials	%	95% CI	Cohen’s Kappa	95% CI
Acupuncture rational	Reasoning for treatment provided	38	95	87 to 100	0.66	0.50 to 0.81
Needling details
Points used	Names or location of points used	38	95	87 to 100	1	—
Numbers of needles inserted	Number of needle insertions per session	17	43	27 to 59	0.85	0.73 to 0.97
Depth of insertion	Depth of insertion	18	45	29 to 61	0.56	0.40 to 0.72
Responses elicited	Responses sought (e.g., de qi or muscle twitch response)	19	48	32 to 64	0.37	0.21 to 0.53
Needle stimulation	Needle stimulation (e.g., manual or electrical)	34	85	73 to 97	0.46	0.30 to 0.62
Needle retention time	Needle retention time per session	38	95	88 to 100	1	—
Needle type	Needle type (diameter, length and manufacturer or material)	27	68	53 to 83	0.38	0.22 to 0.54
Treatment regimen
Treatment frequency	Treatment frequency	35	88	77 to 98	0.86	0.75 to 0.97
Course of treatment	Treatment course	35	88	77 to 98	0.77	0.63 to 0.90
Practitioner background	Description of acupuncturists	1	3	0 to 9	1	—
Control intervention	Precise description of the control or comparator.	40	100	—	1	—