Laser acupuncture reduces pain in pediatric kidney biopsies: a randomized controlled trial.

Evaluate laser acupuncture as an adjuvant therapy in pain management during percutaneous kidney biopsy procedure in children and adolescents. This prospective, double-blinded, randomized controlled trial enrolled patients aged 7-26 years admitted to a children’s hospital for percutaneous kidney biopsy. Patients received laser acupuncture to treatment points (acupuncture group) or sham points (control group) prior to the procedure. Laser delivered a dose of 42 J/cm2 over 10 acupoints. Patients and parents rated the pain during and after the biopsy, and change in pain scores were calculated for each patient. Anxiety, vital signs, sedation medication, and patient’s biopsy experience were secondary outcomes. Sixty-nine treatments (33 acupuncture group, 36 control group) were eligible for analysis. Patients in the acupuncture group reported a significantly improved change in pain score after the biopsy compared to the controls (0.8 vs -0.5, ρ=0.044). Patients in the acupuncture group had a statistically significant decrease in procedure vital signs including heart rate (-1.8 vs 5.6, ρ=0.043) and respiratory rate (-2.4 vs 0.4, ρ=0.045) when compared to controls. Parents also perceived a correspondingly greater improvement in their child’s pain for those in the acupuncture group compared to the controls (2.3 vs 0.3, ρ=0.04). Adjunctive laser acupuncture significantly improved pain after pediatric percutaneous kidney biopsies.