Appendix 1. search strategy

MEDLINE (OVID) search strategy

1. exp Ileus/

2. exp Intestinal Obstruction/

3. (ileus or pseudoobstruction or pseudo‐obstruction or pseudo obstruction or postoperative complication*).mp.

4. 1 or 2 or 3

5. exp Acupuncture/

6. exp Acupuncture Therapy/

7. exp Acupuncture Points/

8. exp Acupressure/

9. exp Electroacupuncture/

10. exp Medicine, Traditional/

11. (acupuncture or acupoint or moxibustion or acupressure or auriculotherap* or electroacupuncture or auricular acupuncture or traditional medicine).mp.

12. 5 or 6 or 7 or 8 or 9 or 10 or 11

13. 4 and 12

14. randomized controlled trial.pt.

15. controlled clinical trial.pt.

16. randomized.ab.

17. placebo.ab.

18. clinical trial.sh.

19. randomly.ab.

20. trial.ti.

21. 14 or 15 or 16 or 17 or 18 or 19 or 20

22. humans.sh.

23. 21 and 22

24. 13 and 23

25. gastrointestinal

26. Digestive System Surgical Procedures

27. 25 and 26

28. 24 and 27

EMBASE (OVID) search strategy

1. exp intestine obstruction/

2. exp postoperative complication/

3. (ileus or pseudoobstruction or pseudo‐obstruction or pseudo obstruction or postoperative complication*).mp.

4. 1 or 2 or 3

5. exp acupuncture/

6. exp moxibustion/

7. exp traditional medicine/

8. (acupuncture or acupoint or moxibustion or acupressure or auriculotherap* or electroacupuncture or auricular acupuncture or traditional medicine).mp.

9. 5 or 6 or 7 or 8

10. 4 and 9

11. randomized controlled trial/

12. randomization/

13. controlled study/

14. multicenter study/

15. phase 3 clinical trial/

16. phase 4 clinical trial/

17. double blind procedure/

18. single blind procedure/

19. ((singl* or doubl* or trebl* or tripl*) adj (blind* or mask*)).ti,ab.

20. (random* or cross* over* or factorial* or placebo* or volunteer*).ti,ab.

21. 16 or 13 or 17 or 19 or 12 or 18 or 14 or 11 or 20 or 15

22. "human*".ti,ab.

23. (animal* or nonhuman*).ti,ab.

24. 23 and 22

25. 23 not 24

26. 21 not 25

27. 10 and 26

28. gastrointestinal

29. Digestive System Surgical Procedures

30. 28 and 29

31. 27 and 30

Cochrane Library

#1 MeSH descriptor Intestinal Obstruction explode all trees

#2 (ileus or pseudoobstruction or pseudo‐obstruction or pseudo obstruction or postoperative complication*):ti,ab,kw

#3 (#1 OR #2)

#4 MeSH descriptor Acupuncture explode all trees

#5 MeSH descriptor Acupuncture Therapy explode all trees

#6 MeSH descriptor Acupressure explode all trees

#7 MeSH descriptor Electroacupuncture explode all trees

#8 MeSH descriptor Medicine, Traditional explode all trees

#9 (acupuncture or acupoint or moxibustion or acupressure or auriculotherap* or electroacupuncture or auricular acupuncture or traditional medicine):ti,ab,kw

#10 (#4 OR #5 OR #6 OR #7 OR #8 OR #9)

#11 (#3 AND #10)

#12 MeSH descriptor Digestive System Surgical Procedures all trees

#13 (#11 AND #12)