GRADE evaluation of the quality of evidence of reviews included in this study
| Study | Patients | Intervention | Comparison | Outcome | No. of patients/studies | Effect RR/OR/MD (95% CI) | Absolute effect (95%) | Quality | AMSTAR score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baoxia Chang 201423 | Simple obesity | Electroacupuncture combined with auricular point plaster | Electroacupuncture | Rate of effectiveness | 397 (5) | RR=1.18 (1.07 to 1.25) | 132 more per 1000 (from 51 more to 183 more) | Moderate (1a, 1c) | 7.5 |
| Wangqin Shen 201013 | Phlebitis | Ruyijinhuangsan | Magnesium sulfate by wet compression | Rate of effectiveness | 327 (6) | RR=1.32 (1.26 to 1.34) | 236 more per 1000 (from 191 more to 250) | Very low (1a, 1b, 1c, 3a, 4a, 5a) | 4.5 |
| Hongying Pu 201115 | Pressure ulcers | Moist exposed burn ointment | Skin disinfection solution or antibiotic ointment | Cure rate | 432 (11) | RR=2.22 (2.07 to 2.33) | 468 more per 1000 (from 410 more to 510 more) | Very low (1a, 1b, 1c, 2, 3a, 5a, 5b) | 6 |
| Time of cure | 261 (5) | MD=6.93 (7.7 to 6.15) | MD=6.93 lower (7.7 to 6.15 lower) | Very low (1a, 1b, 1c, 3a, 4a, 5a, 5b) | 6 | ||||
| Xuan Zhou 201116 | Postoperative patients | Acupressure wristbands | Placebo wristband | Incidence of nausea | 1117 (9) | RR=0.85 (0.72 to 1) | 46 fewer per 1000 (from 86 fewer to 0 more) | Moderate (4b,5a) | 5.5 |
| Incidence of vomiting | 1117 (9) | RR=0.44 (0.31 to 0.62) | 107 fewer per 1000 (from 72 fewer to 131 fewer) | Moderate (4a, 5a) | 5.5 | ||||
| Xiaoli Wu 201231 17 | Diabetic foot ulcers | Foot bath therapy or foot massage with traditional Chinese medicine | Hot foot bath | Effective rate | 845 (8) | RR=1.44 (1.4 to 1.46) | 293 more per 1000 (from 267 more to 307 more) | Low (1a,1b, 2, 5a,5b) | 6.5 |
| Xilan Zheng 201218 | Postoperative patients | Traditional Chinese medicine for elimination of necrotic tissues | Skin disinfection solution or antibiotic ointment | Cure rate | 551 (9) | RR=1.89 (1.65 to 2.17) | 401 more per 1000 (from 293 more to 527 more) | Low (1a, 1b, 1c, 2) | 5.5 |
| Cure time | 355 (6) | MD=9.33 (9.9 to 8.76) | MD=9.33 lower (9.9 to 8.76 lower) | Low (1a, 1b, 1c, 2) | 5.5 | ||||
| Na Li 201114 | Phlebitis | External application with aloe vera | Magnesium sulfate by wet compression | Effective rate | 712 (7) | RR=1.25 (1.2 to 1.27) | 192 more per 1000 (from 153 to 206) | Low (1a, 1b, 1c, 5a) | 6 |
| Jiaqi Xu 201320 | Pressure ulcer | Resina draconis | Skin disinfection solution or antibiotic ointment | Effective rate | 573 (13) | RR=1.2 (1.13 to 1.28) | 162 more per 1000 (from 105 more to 227 more) | Moderate (1a, 1b, 1c) | 8 |
| Yuan Zhao 201321 | Elderly individuals | Tai Chi | Regular sport or physical therapy | Rate of falls | 1443 (4) | RR=0.82 (0.73 to 0.92) | 83 fewer per 1000 (from 37 fewer to 124 fewer) | Moderate (3a) | 6.5 |
| BBS | 345 (2) | MD=2.45 (1.47 to 0.43) | MD=2.45 higher (1.47 to 3.43 higher) | Low (3a, 3b, 4a) | 6.5 | ||||
| Xiaoyan Wen 201319 | Viral hepatitis | Chinese herbal retention enema and comprehensive treatment | Comprehensive treatment | Effective rate: after 2 weeks from cure time | 260 (4) | RR=1.51 (1.3 to 1.67) | 259 more per 1000 (from 152 more to 340 more) | Low (1a, 1b, 1c, 4a) | 8 |
| Effective rate: after 4 weeks from cure time | 333 (5) | OR=4.17 (2.37 to 7.32) | 250 more per 1000 (from 173 more to 300 more) | Low (1a, 1b, 1c, 4a) | 8 | ||||
| Pingping Zheng 201322 | Elders living in home | Tai Chi | Regular sport or physical therapy or blank control | Rate of fall | 2624 (9) | RR=0.85 (0.79 to 0.92) | 73 fewer per 1000 (from 39 fewer to 102 fewer) | Moderate (2) | 6 |
| Guohao Wang 201430 | Constipation | Acupoint massage and ventral massage | Routine nursing | Rate of effectiveness | 2170 (19) | RR=1.93 (1.86 to 2) | 396 more per 1000 (from 366 more to 426 more) | Low (1a, 1c, 2, 3a) | 7 |
| Jihuan Feng 201425 | Patients with cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy | Acupoint massage | Routine nursing | Duration of chemotherapy-induced nausea | 942 (7) | MD=1.52 (1.77 to 1.26) | MD=1.52 lower (1.77 to 1.26 lower) | Low (1a, 1b, 1c, 1e, 2) | 7 |
| Frequency of chemotherapy-induced nausea | 942 (7) | MD=1.08 (1.32 to 0.83) | MD=1.08 lower (1.32 to 0.83 lower) | Low (1a, 1b, 1c, 1e, 2) | 7 | ||||
| Severity of chemotherapy-induced nausea | 942 (7) | MD=1.17(1.37 to 0.96) | MD=1.17 lower (1.37 to 0.96 lower) | Low (1a, 1b, 1c, 1e, 2) | 7 | ||||
| Shaoxia Meng 201428 | Diabetics with peripheral neuropathy | Foot massage or massage in foot reflection area or acupoint massage for lower limbs | Routine nursing | Rate of effectiveness | 323 (5) | RR=1.47 (1.29 to 1.68) | 297 more per 1000 (from 183 more to 430 more) | Low (1a, 1c, 3a, 4a, 5a) | 6.5 |
| Xijuan Cui 201424 | Postoperative patients with abdominal operation* | Acupoint massage for Zusanli, Zusanli point acupuncture, Chinese medicine application at the Zusanli point | Routine nursing | First aerofluxus time: subgroup for Zusanli point acupuncture* | 317 (3) | MD=14.52 (15.49 to 13.54) | MD=14.52 lower (15.49 to 13.54 lower) | Low (1a, 1b, 1c, 1f, 2,4a, 5a) | 8 |
| Subgroup for acupoint massage for Zusanli* | 326 (4) | MD=22.7 (25.67 to 19.73) | MD=22.7 lower (25.67 to 19.73 lower) | Low (1a, 1b, 1c, 1f, 2, 4a, 5a) | 8 | ||||
| Subgroup for Chinese medicine application at the Zusanli point* | 1048 (6) | MD=18.25 (18.6 to 17.9) | MD=18.25 lower (18.6 to 17.9 lower) | Moderate (1a, 1b, 1c, 1f, 2, 5a) | 8 | ||||
| Zhong Sun 201429 | Patients with primary dysmenorrhoea | Umbilical compression with Chinese herbs | Analgesic drug | Rate of effectiveness | 496 (5) | RR=1.93 (1.45 to 2.57) | 214 more per 1000 (from 104 more to 362 more) | Very low (1a, 1b, 2, 3a, 4a) | 5 |
| Ye Li 201426 | Women in labour | Acupoint massage for Sanyinjiao, Hegu, Zhiyin, Taichong, Ashi, Shenshu and others | Blank control | Rate of effectiveness | 766 (6) | RR=1.64 (1.56 to 1.7) | 347 more per 1000 (from 304 more to 380 more) | Low (1a, 1b, 1c, 2, 5a, 5b) | 7 |
| Yuanyuan Yang 201531 | Insomnia* | Auricular point therapy | Acupuncture or drug therapy | Effective rate after 2 weeks from cure time | 606 (3) | RR=1.28 (1.2 to 1.37) | 212 more per 1000 (from 152 more to 281 more) | Low (1a, 1b, 1c, 2) | 7 |
| Auricular point therapy | Acupuncture or drug therapy | Effective rate after 4 weeks from cure time | 333 (4) | RR=1.25 (1.13 to 1.37) | 186 more per 1000 (from 97 more to 276 more) | Low (1a, 1b, 1c, 4a) | 7 | ||
| Yue Ma 201427 | Ileus | Enema and gastrointestinal intubation with traditional Chinese medicine | Blank control | Rate of effectiveness | 2821 (27) | RR=1.24 (1.2 to 1.29 | 179 more per 1000 (from 149 more to 216 more) | Low (1a, 1b, 1c, 1f, 5b) | 8 |
| Weiwei Wu 201632 | Elderly individual | Traditional Chinese exercise | Other intervention or regular nursing | Subgroup for PSQI for Tai Chi | 554 (8) | MD=−2.15 (−4.61 to 0.30) | MD=2.15 lower (4.61 lower to 0.3 higher) | Low (1a, 1b, 1c, 2, 5b) | 8 |
| Subgroup for PSOI for Qi Gong | 55 (2) | MD=−4.29 (−5.29 to −3.29) | MD=4.29 lower (5.29 lower to 3.29 lower) | Low (1a, 1b, 1c, 4a, 5b) | 8 |
Risk of bias: (1a) failed to conceal allocation; (1b) no blinding used; (1c) incomplete reporting of random sequence generation in most studies included; (1d) use of unvalidated outcome measure; (1e) loss to follow-up and failure to adhere to the intention-to-treat principle; (1f) non-randomised controlled trial was included.
Inconsistency: (2) unexplained heterogeneity or inconsistency of results.
Indirectness: (3a) differences in therapeutic methods between intervention and control groups; (3b) surrogate outcome.
Imprecision: (4a) optimal information size criterion was not met; (4b) wide confidence internals.
Publication bias; (5a) flaws in literature search; (5b) funnel plot asymmetry.
*Subgroup.
AMSTAR, Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews; GRADE, Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation; PSOI, psoriasis; PSQI, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; RR, risk ratio; MD, mean difference.