Adjunctive acupuncture for sepsis-associated acute gastrointestinal injury: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and exploratory Bayesian network meta-analysis - Takeaways - MDSpire

Adjunctive acupuncture for sepsis-associated acute gastrointestinal injury: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and exploratory Bayesian network meta-analysis

  • By

  • Xuemin Zhang

  • Hongyuan Sun

  • Yue Wen

  • Guiwei Li

  • Qingquan Liu

  • May 22, 2026

  • 0 min

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  • 1

    Acute gastrointestinal injury (AGI) in sepsis is linked to multiple organ dysfunction and poor outcomes, highlighting the need for effective adjunctive therapies.

  • 2

    A systematic review and meta-analysis of 20 studies found that acupuncture improved gastrointestinal function and inflammatory markers in sepsis patients.

  • 3

    Acupuncture did not significantly reduce 28-day mortality, indicating no clear survival benefit despite improvements in gastrointestinal parameters.

  • 4

    Electroacupuncture and manual acupuncture showed no convincing evidence of superiority in their effects on gastrointestinal dysfunction.

  • 5

    The study calls for well-designed multicenter trials to further investigate acupuncture's efficacy and safety in critically ill patients with AGI.

Original Source(s)

Adjunctive acupuncture for sepsis-associated acute gastrointestinal injury: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and exploratory Bayesian network meta-analysis

  • by Xuemin Zhang, Hongyuan Sun, Yue Wen, Guiwei Li, Qingquan Liu

  • May 22, 2026

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