To evaluate efficacy of acupuncture therapy combined with swallowing rehabilitation training in preventing stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP) in patients with post-stroke dysphagia.

Five databases, including CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, Cochrane Library and PubMed, were searched electronically from the establishment of the database to June 2020. According to the Cochrane Handbook 5.3, the quality of the research included in this study was assessed, and meta-analysis is performed using Revman 5. 3 Software.

A total of 7 articles were selected for inclusion, and there were 520 patients with 261 cases in the trial group and 259 cases in the control group. Meta-analysis showed no statistical heterogeneity between studies (P=0.94, I²=0%), which was analyzed by fixed effect model. The combined OR and 95% CI of all samples were 0.28[0.15, 0.50], and the rhombus was at the left of the median line. Z test showed that incidence of SAP in acupuncture combined with swallowing rehabilitation training was significantly lower than that of the control group, and the difference can reach statistical significance (Z=4.24, P<0.05). Subgroup analysis based on specific acupoint combinations [point CV23 (Lianquan), point GB20(Fengchi) and point TE17(Yifeng)] included 3 literatures, which have 256 patients with 129 in the experimental group and 127 in the control group. Meta-analysis showed no statistical heterogeneity between studies (P=0.67, I²=0%) by using fixed effect model. The combined OR and 95%CI for all samples were 0.27[0.11, 0.62], and the rhombus was to the left of the median line. Z test showed that the incidence difference of SAP between the experimental group and the control group was statistically significant (Z=3.08, P<0.05).

Compared with swallowing rehabilitation training alone, combined acupuncture treatment can reduce the incidence of pneumonia in patients with dysphagia after stroke, and has the preventive effect of SAP.