Presentation summary

Background :
Acupuncture-related organ damage, including pneumothorax, is the second most frequentlyreported adverse event. Improving acupuncture safety requires not only learning from case reports but also conducting experimental studies to explore preventive measures based on the characteristics of adverse events. However, there is currently no comprehensive review of such experimental studies. This study aimed to identify evidence for preventing pneumothorax caused by acupuncture by reviewing relevant experimental research.

Methods :
A literature search was conducted using PubMed and Ichushi (a Japanese medical database) forarticles published between January 1, 2000, and May 25, 2025. The search terms were “acupuncture” and“pneumothorax.”

Inclusion criteria :
Articles in English or Japanese focused primarily on preventing acupuncture-related pneumothorax.

Exclusion criteria :
Non-English/Japanese articles, questionnaire surveys, case reports, literature/database surveys, reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and articles unrelated to acupuncture or moxibustion