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Electro‐acupuncture and postoperative emesis
Author(s) -
Ho R. T.,
Jawan B,
Fung S. T.,
Cheung H. K.,
Lee J. H.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
anaesthesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.839
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1365-2044
pISSN - 0003-2409
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2044.1990.tb14744.x
Subject(s) - medicine , anesthesia , retching , vomiting , acupuncture , prochlorperazine , transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation , acupuncture point , surgery , alternative medicine , pathology
Summary One hundred unpremedicated female patients of ASA grade 1 or 2 who underwent laparoscopy as outpatients were allocated randomly to one of four groups. All patients received general anaesthesia withfentanyl, thiopentone, halothane, nitrous oxide and oxygen; suxamethonium was given to facilitate tracheal intubation. In the recovery room, group I (control) received no treatment; group 2 received electro‐acupuncture at the P6 point (Neiguan) on the right side for 15 minutes, group 3 received transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation at the P6 point on the right side for 15 minutes and group 4 received prochlorperazine 5 mg intravenously. Any act of vomiting, including dry retching, during the first 3 postoperative hours was regarded as postoperative emesis. The incidence of postoperative emesis was 11/25 (44%) in group 1, 3/25 (12%, p > 0.05) in group 2, 9/25 (36%) in group 3, and 3/25 (12%, p < 0.05) in group 4. Our results suggest that electro‐acupuncture is as effective as prochlorperazine, and may be better than transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, in reducing postoperative emesis.