Intended for healthcare professionals

News

Risks of acupuncture range from stray needles to pneumothorax, finds study

BMJ 2012; 345 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.e6060 (Published 07 September 2012) Cite this as: BMJ 2012;345:e6060
  1. Zosia Kmietowicz
  1. 1London

About 100 patients a year in England and Wales experience adverse events after acupuncture delivered by the NHS, ranging from having needles left on their body to pneumothorax, a study has found.1

Although most incidents aren’t harmful, it is likely that the total figure is an underestimate because of under-reporting, say the researchers. They recommend a number of practices that can improve the safety of acupuncture.

The researchers searched the database of the national reporting and learning system run …

View Full Text

Log in

Log in through your institution

Subscribe

* For online subscription