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Efficacy of acupuncture for pregnancy with early-onset ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome: study protocol for a randomised controlled clinical trial

Wen K, Sun D, Wang D, Li Y, Wang J, Wang B, Zhan M, Tan H et al.

BMJ open, 2024

384 participants

Abstract

Introduction: Although ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a common complication primarily seen in patients undergoing in vitro fertilisation-embryo transfer, there is no recognised effective treatment to manage it, especially for pregnant patients. As an alternative non-pharmacological treatment, acupuncture presents itself as a promising, safe and effective intervention for those suffering from OHSS. Despite its potential, there is a noticeable absence of randomised controlled trials providing solid evidence on the efficacy of acupuncture in the management of pregnancy with OHSS. Therefore, the primary objective of this study is to conduct an initial investigation into the efficacy of acupuncture in pregnant patients with OHSS, hoping to contribute valuable insights from a medical-scientific perspective.

Methods and analysis: This is a three-arm, single-blind, parallel-design, randomised controlled clinical trial. A total of 384 patients will be enrolled and randomised in a ratio of 1:1:1 into acupuncture group (MA group), sham acupuncture group (SA group) and control group (C group) for a 20-day treatment period. The primary outcomes include 24-hour urine output, amount of ascites shown on ultrasound, abdominal circumference, degree of abdominal distension and chest tightness. The secondary outcomes are weight, ovarian size, rate of ascites drainage by tube placement and serum hCG. Besides, the study will consider changes in blood counts and hormonal levels as…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design. Reported size: 384 participants or records.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

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