24 March 2026
: Case report 
Early Out-of-Bed Rehabilitation in Severe Psittacosis to Enhance Recovery in Critical Care: A Case Report
Diagnostic / therapeutic accidents, Management of emergency care, Rare coexistence of disease or pathology
Ruowen Jiang
ABDEFG 1,2, Zan Qin BCDF 1,2, Yuechao Ma BDE 1,2, Litao Guo AEFG 1,2*
DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.951682
Am J Case Rep 2026; 27:e951682
Table 2 Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and acupuncture therapy.
| Treatment | Time | Information | Mechanism and pattern | Drugs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese Herb Drugs | Hospital days 3–10 | Fever, dyspnea (mechanical ventilation assistance), panting, abdominal distension, gastrointestinal retention, hypoactive bowel sounds.Pulse condition: rapid string and slippery.Tongue diagnosis was not applicable due to the endotracheal tube | The pattern of dampness-heat encumbering and qi movement disorder | Root of Chinese thorowax () 15 g, Radix Glycyrrhizae preparata () 10g, Immature bitter orange () 10 g, Tuckahoe () 15 g, Oriental water plantain rhizome () 15 g, Radix et rhizoma rhei () 10 g, Natrii Sulfas 5 g, Rhizome of swordlike atractylodes ) 10 g, Rhizoma pinelliae preparatum () 10 g, Pericarpium citri reticulatae () 15 g, Radix peaoniae alba () 10 g, Jujube () 6 pieces, Costus root () 10 g |
| Hospital days 11–17 | Fever, dyspnea, and panting improved, with intermittent weaning-off. No abdominal distension, no gastric retention, and normal bowel sounds.Pulse condition: string and slippery.Tongue diagnosis was not applicable due to the endotracheal tube | The mechanism improves but does not heal | Root of Chinese thorowax () 20 g, Radix glycyrrhizae preparata () 10 g, Immature bitter orange () 15 g, Tuckahoe () 15 g, Oriental water plantain rhizome () 20 g, Radix et rhizoma rhei () 15 g, Natrii Sulfas 5 g, Rhizome of swordlike atractylodes () 10 g, Rhizoma pinelliae preparatum () 10 g, Pericarpium citri reticulatae () 15 g, Radix peaoniae alba () 10 g, Turmeric root-tuber () 10 g, Szechuan lovage rhizome () 5 g, Rhizoma atractylodis macrocephalea () 20 g | |
| Acupuncture | Hospital days 2–6 | Agitation, sedation and analgesia. | Calming the mind and tranquilizing the spirit | Scalp acupuncture: micro-system 5 (centerline plane) and emotional area for adjuvant consciousness management. Retain the needle for 4 hours per day |
| Abdominal distension and constipation | Relieve the bowels and regulate qi | Acupoint injection: bilateral ST36 with probiotics B6 (1 ml: 0.5 mg, per point) every other day | ||
| Hospital days 14–18 | Dysphagia following extubation | Relieving throat discomfort and dredging collaterals | Manual acupuncture: RN23 and Ashi points of laryngopharynx per day |