Abstracts des SAR Symposion in Minneapolis

Vom 19. – 20. Oktober 2001 fand im Pillsbury Auditorium, Hennepin County Medical Center, Minnesota das 8. jährliche Symposion der Society of Acupuncture Research statt. 
Das Kongressprogramm war wie 2000 bei dem Symposion in Baltimore hervorragend und fokussierte auf den aktuellen Stand der wissenschaftlichen Forschung zur Akupunktur.
Auch der aktuelle Stand der von den National Institutes of Health geförderten, klinischen Studien wurden in Vorträgen vorgestellt und diskutiert. Wie bereits in den letzten Monaten stellen wir an dieser Stelle die Abstracts des Symposiums als Serie hier ins Netz.
Hier den 12. Teil:

Hong Wei Liu
Studio City Oriental Medical Center, Sherman Oaks, CA

Chronic renal failure is a progressive and irreversible condition, necessitating in the advanced stages of hemodialysis and eventually kidney transplant. The present study is a preliminary attempt to delay the progression into end stage renal failure by administration of Chinese herbs. Twenty-one patients participated in the study (10 women), of 25 to 73 years of age (median 52 years). They have been divided in 4 groups according to TCM diagnosis, and received daily decoction (twice a day 250 ml, after meal) of the accordingly prescribed herbs: 1) Spleen and Kidney Qi and Yang deficiency: Zhen Wu Tang+Wu Pi Yin; 2) Liver and Kidney Yin deficiency: Zhi Bai Di Huang Tang modified; 3) Qi and Yin deficiency: Shen Qi Di Huang Tang modified; 4) Yin and Yang deficiency: Gui Fu Di Huang Wan. The treatment length was 6 months for all the patients, and 12 months for 17 of them. The renal function was evaluated before the treatment (baseline) and every month during treatment, and assessed by serum creatinine and BUN levels. The serum creatinine was reduced from 494±133 umol/l (baseline) to 412±125 (p<0.05; 6 months) and 458±140 (NS; 12 months), while BUN was reduced from 18.7±1.5 mmol/l (baseline) to 16.4±1.3 (p<0.01; 6 months) and 17.7±1.5 (p<0.05; 12 months). The serum hemoglobin was not altered by the treatment.

This preliminary study is a promising one, showing that the progression of chronic renal failure can be delayed, and even reversed in part. Further studies, of a more refined design, are necessary to fully test these conditions.

C Wilson, M Cohen, H Wilson
Quan Yin Healing Arts Center, San Francisco, CA

The Issue: Homeless people living in the Tenderloin are afflicted with a variety of challenging medical diagnoses and social issues. This population has a high rate of substance use, chemical dependency, HIV, Hepatitis B&C, and frequently present with untreated mental illness. In addition, this population has historically had extremely limited access to consistent acupuncture treatment.

Project: During January and February of 2001, acupuncture treatment was made available during the morning breakfast program of a Harm Reduction based service agency in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco. The hours of the clinic corresponded to the morning activity that drew the most number of clients to the program.

Objective: The purpose was to gather data to investigate the feasibility of providing acupuncture treatment in a pilot program and to find out if the homeless population would utilize the acupuncture services. A secondary goal was to determine whether clients with Medi-Cal benefits might successfully be billed in order to subsidize the program in the future.

Methods: Two practitioners provided acupuncture on site at Tenderloin AIDS Resource Center (TARC) 2x a week for an estimated 2.5 hours each week for 6 weeks. Client numbers and the conditions treated were tracked at each session. Each participant signed an informed consent. Anyone interested in receiving treatment was treated. The clinic took place in a small, available room within direct vicinity of the medical offices. Acupuncture was also made available to case management staff in order to establish trust and to cultivate receptivity for the implementation of acupuncture into an existing set of social services. Auricular acupuncture, press-on ear seeds, and a minimal number of body points were used for both clients and staff members of TARC.

Results: At the end of 6 weeks, 40 unduplicated clients had received a total of 135 acupuncture treatments. 30% of the unduplicated clients consistently came each week for treatment. The results of the project indicated that the clients of TARC had responded to the ease of accessibility of the acupuncture and had enthusiastically utilized the service. And finally, it was determined that the use of individual Medi-Cal benefits was not a viable source of funds for coverage of services. Independent financial resources would be needed to support a pilot project.

Conclusion: Data was successfully gathered and it was concluded that providing acupuncture treatment was feasible and desired in the Tenderloin among double and triply diagnosed clients. Funding for a formal pilot project -- the Tenderloin Acupuncture Project -- was obtained in the spring of 2001.