Evidence map analysis of application of auricular point sticking technique in patients with urinary calculi

Objective To systematically sort out the interventional studies on the application of auricular point sticking technique in patients with urinary calculi by means of evidence map analysis in order to understand the distribution of evidence in this field and the problems of the studies.

Methods Chinese and English databases such as CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, China Biology Medicine (CBM) Database, PubMed, Cochrane Library, CINAHL complete, Web of Science, Elsevier Science Direct, Embase, etc. were systematically searched to screen for studies related to the application of auricular point sticking technique in patients with urinary calculi. The time frame of the review was from the database construction to June 2024, and the trend of publication, type of literature, sample size in the literature, interventions, distribution of acupuncture points, outcome indexes, and methodological quality of the literature were analyzed by using graphs and text.

Results A total of 79 papers were included, including 65 randomized controlled studies, 5 quasi-experimental study, and 9 studies with unclear grouping basis. The overall trend of the number of publications was increasing, and the average sample size was 103.37 patients. The most frequently selected auricular acupuncture points were kidney, ureter, sympathetic point, Shenmen, and bladder, etc., and the endpoint indicators of greater concern were clinical efficacy, pain relief, and stone expulsion, etc. The methodological quality of the literature was not high.

Conclusion Auricular point sticking technique has certain advantages in the treatment of urinary calculi, and the selection of acupoints and outcome indicators are diverse. However, most studies have shortcomings in scientific research design, personalized intervention measures, measurement and analysis of outcome indicators, etc. Therefore, more scientific and rigorous large-scale, multi-center randomized controlled studies are needed in the future to provide high-quality evidence-based basis for the application of auricular point sticking technique in patients with urinary calculi.