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Can perioperative acupuncture reduce the pain and vomiting experienced after tonsillectomy? A meta‐analysis
Author(s) -
Cho Hye Kyung,
Park In Joon,
Jeong Yeon Min,
Lee Yeon Ji,
Hwang Se Hwan
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1002/lary.25721
Subject(s) - acupuncture , medicine , nausea , vomiting , perioperative , anesthesia , acupressure , tonsillectomy , meta analysis , postoperative nausea and vomiting , analgesic , adverse effect , electroacupuncture , randomized controlled trial , surgery , alternative medicine , pathology
Objectives Acupuncture has been shown to reduce pain, nausea, and vomiting. However, its use alongside surgical interventions remains a novel practice, despite the increasing applications of alternative medicine. The goal of this meta‐analysis was to perform a systematic review of the literature addressing the effect of acupuncture on postoperative pain, nausea, and vomiting following tonsillectomy. Data Sources MEDLINE, SCOPUS, and Cochrane database. Methods Two authors independently searched the databases from the inception of article collection until June 2015. We included 1) analysis studies that compared groups of patients who had received perioperative acupuncture (acupuncture groups) with those who had received a pain control agent or sham treatment (control group); and 2) analysis studies in which the outcomes of interest were postoperative pain intensity, rescue analgesic consumption, or nausea and vomiting. Results The pain score reported by patients during the first 48 hours and the postoperative need for analgesics were significantly lower in the acupuncture group versus the control group. Additionally, the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting was significantly lower in the acupuncture group than in the control group. No major adverse effects of perioperative acupuncture were reported in the enrolled studies. Conclusion Perioperative acupuncture may provide pain relief without side effects in patients undergoing tonsillectomy. However, there were high levels of heterogeneity in several of the measured parameters; thus, the efficacy of acupuncture cannot be considered to have been evaluated sufficiently. For this reason, additional large well‐designed trials are required to further support the results of this study. Level of Evidence NA. Laryngoscope , 126:608–615, 2016