Acupuncture is part of a complex medical approach used in China for years and known as traditional chinese medicine (TCM). TCM medical theory holds that health occurs when the patterned energy flow throughout the body is balanced. As a consequence, acute illness may be defined when a major state of imbalance or disruption arises, and the use of acupuncture may help in correcting these imbalances. While China’s current hospital system often offers the integration of traditional and western medicine, this combined approach is infrequently practiced in Europe and the United States. However, several studies from peer-reviewed and indexed journals have extensively shown the effectiveness of acupuncture in different kinds of critical illnesses.

The use of acupuncture has shown to be better than placebo. Sham acupuncture is used for the treatment of knee pain and gastroesophageal reflux and has been very useful for patients with low back pain, headache, and depression. Moreover, acupuncture has been found to be safe and potentially effective in treating bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In addition, it improves the respiratory status and promotes successful weaning from prolonged mechanical ventilation in intensive care unit patients. The use of adjunctive acupuncture has been shown to reduce pain, nausea, and vomiting and decrease the need for narcotic use both in the perioperative and in the intensive care setting. In addition, its use has demonstrated a significant reduction in the incidence of postoperative opioid-related adverse effects, including nausea, pruritus, dizziness, sedation, and urinary retention, as well as an effective treatment for delayed gastric emptying.

The aim of this Special Issue is to improve the clinician’s awareness of the current evidence regarding the use of acupuncture for the diagnosis and management of critically ill patients. We invite authors to contribute clinical and practical studies and review articles. We welcome submissions discussing the mechanisms behind the efficacy of acupuncture in critical care, the use of acupuncture for the management of pain, agitation, and delirium in critically ill patients, for which non-pharmacological strategies have been suggested although their use is still limited. We are also interested in manuscripts that report the possible use of acupuncture in the management of sepsis or other shock states and in cases of intolerance to enteral nutrition. Systematic reviews are particularly welcome.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Acupuncture and postoperative pain, nausea, and vomiting
• Acupuncture and pulmonary postoperative complications
• Acupuncture and functional recovery after critical illness
• Acupuncture and sedation in the critically ill
• Acupuncture and pain in the ICU
• Acupuncture and delirium
• Acupuncture and gas exchange in critically ill patients
• Acupuncture and circulatory shock
• Acupuncture and metabolism of the critically ill
• Acupuncture and sepsis
• Acupuncture and intolerance to enteral nutrition