RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To observe the curative effect of acupuncture intervention combined with hyperbaric oxygen chamber treatment for delayed encephalopathy in 32 carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning patients. METHODS: A total of 62 CO poisoning encephalopathy patients were randomized into control group (n = 30) and acupuncture group (n = 32). Patients of the two groups were all treated with medicines (energy mixture solution, hormones, brain cell activators, calcium ion blockers, anti-inflammatory agents, etc.) and hyperbaric oxygen treatment (oxygen-inhaling for 90 min/time). Moreover, patients of the acupuncture group received acupuncture stimulation of bilateral Taixi (KI 3), Xuanzhong (GB 39), Hegu (LI 4), Taichong (LR 3), and Fengchi (GB 20). All the treatments were conducted once daily for 30 days. The therapeutic effect of the treatments for neurological function was assessed by NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS, 34 points in total; including 15 items as consciousness, horizontal eye movement, visual power, visual field, facial muscular motion, limb movement, coordination movement, sensory and language levels, etc.). RESULTS: After the treatment, of the 30 and 32 cases in the control and acupuncture groups, 1 and 4 were cured, 3 and 8 experienced marked improvement, 4 and 11 were improved, and 22 and 9 invalid, with the effective rates being 26.1% and 72.3%, respectively. The therapeutic effect of the acupuncture group was significantly superior to that of the control group (P < 0.05). The average NIHSS score was 5.01 +/- 0.72 in the acupuncture group, being significantly lower than that (8.30 +/- 0.45) in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture treatment can effectively strengthen the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of delayed encephalopathy caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.