Dozens killed by incorrectly placed acupuncture needles

[Ian David]

Dozens killed by incorrectly placed acupuncture needles
Professor of complementary medicine calls for adequate training for all acupuncture practitioners after survey reveals punctured hearts and lungs among causes of death over past 45 years

Eighty-six people have been accidentally killed by badly trained acupuncturists over the past 45 years, according to Britain's leading expert on alternative medicine.

A review of patients who died soon after acupuncture found a history of punctured hearts and lungs, damaged arteries and livers, nerve problems, shock, infection and haemorrhage, largely caused by practitioners placing their needles incorrectly or failing to sterilise their equipment.

Many of the 86 patients, aged between 26 and 82 years old, died after being treated by acupuncturists in China or Japan, but a handful of fatalities were recorded in the US, Germany and Australia. The most recent death, of a 26-year-old woman in China, occurred last year.

The most common cause of death was a condition called pneumothorax, where air finds its way between the membranes that separate the lungs from the chest wall and causes the lungs to collapse.

More:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/oct/18/dozens-killed-acupuncture-needles?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[Blue Owl]

1. My acupuncturist is a total prick

:hangover:

[trotsky]

2. "What's the harm?"

Indeed.

[HuckleB]

6. Double indeed.

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=7605

[IntravenousDemilo]

3. How does this compare to the number of people who've died as a result of botched surgeries

and incorrectly prescribed medications over the same period?

On the other hand, is there any real evidence that acupuncture works?

[trotsky]

4. But what about this?!?!?!

[IntravenousDemilo]

5. How is that a red herring?

[trotsky]

9. You have to ask?

Think about it for a bit.

[IntravenousDemilo]

13. Evidently I do.

Spell it out.

Acupuncture seems to have a very low death rate, certainly not something to get alarmed about. Probably more people are crushed under vending machines in a given year.

[trotsky]

17. Risk-reward calculation.

Evidence-based medical procedures: small risk, great reward.
"Alternative" "medicine": small risk, no reward.

Can you do the math for the relative risk calculation?

[Merlot]

10. One of my parents died from a botched surgery and resulting infection

If the pharmaceutical industry had only killed 84 people in one year it would be a miracle.

OTOH I've had many acupuncture treatments and every one of them has cured what ailed me...from tennis elbow to headaches to congested sinuses. And it really does relieve pain with no side effects. Also now acupuncturists use disposable needles so chances of infection from un sterile needles is nonexistent.

[HuckleB]

14. Placebo is as placebo does.

And if there is any danger for a placebo treatment, then the risk outweighs the benefit.

Acupuncture – Disconnected from Reality
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=413

Why I Am Skeptical of Acupuncture
http://theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=362

Misunderstanding Acupuncture Studies
http://layscience.net/node/574

The Cargo Cult of Acupuncture
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=6789

Pssst! Needle-Free Acupuncture: Reality-Free Bullshit
http://www.merseysideskeptics.org.uk/2010/04/pssst-needle-free-acupuncture-reality-free-bullshit/


Note: I've had acupuncture treatment, and I believed in it at the time. But the things I had treated were things that usually get better on their own. With some research, I stopped fooling myself.

[Merlot]

16. Good for you. But why do you need to convince me?

I'm fine. It works. Pain stops. No drugs needed.

[HuckleB]

19. We used to call placebo medication with side effects snake oil.

The reason: It's nothing but a scam. There is no logical reason that these "treatments" are allowed to be "sold" to the public, unless we're going to say all scams are fine, and there is no reason to put people in jail for fooling other people out of their money. Currently, we put some people in jail for their scams, and we "license" other people for their scams. It makes no sense.

[matt819]

7. Two people a year for close to 50 years?

And this is supposed to concern me why? Sure, it sucks if you're one of the two people who die on average every year, but that's one heck of an impressive record. I suspect more people die tripping on a sidewalk, or choking or breakfast cereal. And this seems to be worldwide. One can argue about the efficacy of the treatment. That's fair enough. But pointing to fewer than 100 fatalities in almost 50 years as a cause for concern is just a waste of time.

[Merlot]

11. Agreed.

How many people die from side effects of drugs each year? How many people die from accidental overdoses?

[felix_numinous]

8. This is a story of incompetence

which could have been written about any profession. Using it to bash the whole disciplinary art is very ignorant and bigoted.

[laconicsax]

12. Bigoted?

:rofl:

[HuckleB]

15. +1

[Ian David]

18. I have nothing against acupuncturists. I just think they shouldn't be allowed to marry each other.

Whatever, dude.