On Quality of Randomized Controlled Trial of Chronic Pelvic Inflammation Treated with Acupuncture and Moxibustion

WANG Lifen; HUANG Liping; XIONG Jun; YANG Zheng; QU Xiaoxiao

Abstract：Objective:To assess the quality of randomized controlled clinical trials of chronic pelvic inflammation treated acupuncture and moxibustion , using consolidated standards for reporting of trials ( CONSORT ) and standards for reporting interventions in controlled trials of acupuncture ( STRICTA ) as the criteria. Methods:Computer and human retrievals were applied. Databases including China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI),China Biomedicine Literature Database(CBM),VIP Journal Integration Platform(VJIP) and WANFANG Data were searched in combination with human retrieval for relevant journals ,to find out the literature meeting with the inclusion criteria. CONSORT and STRICTA were used to assess the quality of the included literature. Results:A total of 85 papers were included. In most of those ,there were no clear description of methods for randomization and allocation concealment ,low percentage of using blind methods ,no calculation of sample size,no intention-to-treat analysis,clinical report without detailed description,and no mention of practitioners’ background. Conclusions:The quality of randomized controlled clinical trials of chronic pelvic inflammation treated with acupuncture and moxibustion is generally poor ,which affects the reliability and homogeneous comparability of the studies. To improve the reliability and quality of randomized controlled clinical trials of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment ,CONSORT and STRICTA should be introduced into the trial design of acupuncture and moxibustion and strictly followed.