Auricular Acupressure for Insomnia in Patients with Decompensated Hepatitis B-Related Liver Cirrhosis: A Clinical Observation

Abstract

Objective

This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of auricular acupressure for insomnia in patients with decompensated hepatitis B-related liver cirrhosis (DHBV-LC).

Methods

This prospective randomized controlled trial enrolled 60 patients with DHBV-LC and comorbid insomnia between May 2023 and June 2024. The participants were randomly divided into two groups: a control group (n = 30) receiving standard therapy and an intervention group (n = 30) receiving standard therapy combined with auricular acupressure for a course of 4 weeks. The observed indicators included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores, clinical response rates, and adverse events. Independent-sample t-tests and chi-square (χ²) tests were used for statistical analysis.

Results

Both groups showed significant reductions in PSQI, ISI, and TCM syndrome scores compared with baseline (P < 0.05). The intervention group showed greater reductions in PSQI (3.51 ± 0.69 vs 2.62 ± 0.68; P < 0.001), ISI (5.17 ± 1.05 vs 3.43 ± 1.27; P < 0.001), and TCM syndrome (11.23 ± 1.17 vs 13.60 ± 1.19; P < 0.001) scores. Clinical response rates were higher in the intervention group (86.7% vs 65.5%; P < 0.05). No significant difference in adverse events was observed (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

Auricular acupressure can significantly improve sleep quality in patients with insomnia secondary to DHBV-LC with good safety and tolerability, making it a promising therapeutic approach worthy of wider clinical application.