The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of acupuncture treatment for persistent hiccups in cancer patients.
Design:
The study design was a retrospective case series.
Settings/location:
The study setting was the Clinical Research Center of the National Institutes of Health.
Subjects:
The subjects were 16 adult male patients ages 27–71 with cancer, with persistent hiccups.
Interventions:
There were one to three acupuncture sessions over a 1–7-day period.
Outcome measures:
Treatment efficacy was measured using a hiccup assessment instrument pre- and post-treatment. The effects of acupuncture on common symptoms reported by all patients were also evaluated.
Results:
Thirteen (13) patients experienced complete remission of persistent hiccups (p < 0.0001); 3 patients experienced decreased hiccups severity. Significant improvement was observed in discomfort (p < 0.0001), distress (p < 0.0001), and fatigue (p = 0.0078).
Conclusions:
This case series demonstrates that acupuncture may be a clinically useful, safe, and low-cost therapy for persistent hiccups in patients with cancer.
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