[Midnight-noon ebb-flow acupuncture combined with rehabilitation therapy for severe craniocerebral trauma patients with vegetative state: a randomized controlled trial].

Objective: To compare the clinical therapeutic effect of midnight-noon ebb-flow acupuncture combined with rehabilitation therapy and simple rehabilitation therapy in severe craniocerebral trauma patients with vegetative state.

Methods: A total of 100 patients were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 50 cases in each one. Basic treatment of medication, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and specialized nursing were given in both groups. In the control group, rehabilitation therapy was adopted for 30 min each time, once a day. On the basis of the control group, midnight-noon ebb-flow acupuncture was applied in the observation group, the needles were sustained for 30 min, once a day, 5 times a week. The treatment was for 30 days in both groups. Before treatment and after 10, 20, 30 days of treatment, scores of Glasgow coma scale (GCS) and coma recovery scale-revised (CRS-R) were observed, and the conscious rate after treatment was calculated in both groups.

Results: Compared before treatment, the GCS and CRS-R scores after 10, 20, 30 days of treatment were increased in both groups (<0.01), and the scores in the observation group were superior to those in the control group (<0.01). After treatment, the conscious rate was 20.0% (10/50) in the observation group, which was superior to 12.0% (6/50) in the control group (<0.01).

Conclusion: Midnight-noon ebb-flow acupuncture combined with rehabilitation therapy can effectively treat the severe craniocerebral trauma patients with vegetative state, improve the consciousness level, and have superior therapeutic effect compared with simple rehabilitation therapy.