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Case Reports
. 2013 Aug;5(4):E144-6.
doi: 10.3978/j.issn.2072-1439.2013.08.18.

Is pneumothorax after acupuncture so uncommon?

Michael Stenger  1 , Nicki Eithz Bauer, Peter B Licht
Affiliations
Case Reports

Is pneumothorax after acupuncture so uncommon?

Michael Stenger et al. J Thorac Dis. 2013 Aug.

Abstract

Acupuncture is one of the most widely used forms of traditional Chinese medicine often referred to as alternative therapy in the Western World and over the past decades it has become increasingly popular in Denmark. Pneumothorax is known as the most common serious complication following acupuncture, but it is quite rarely reported. During a three-month period two patients with pneumothorax caused by acupuncture were admitted to our department. The purpose of this case report is to increase awareness of this complication, which may not be so uncommon.

Keywords: Pneumothorax; acupuncture; acupuncture complications; adverse events.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Two chest X-rays of a 64-year-old male with a complete pneumothorax on the left side caused by acupuncture (A) and immediately after insertion of a chest tube with re-expansion of the left lung (B).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Two chest X-rays of an 82-year-old woman with a complete pneumothorax on the right side caused by acupuncture (A) and immediately after insertion of a chest tube with re-expansion of the right lung (B).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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