Description A – KI1
B – DU26
C – KI1 + DU26
D – Sham acupuncture
Experimental Description
We randomly assigned 50 patients to 5 groups during recovery from surgical anesthesia. Four groups had acupuncture on KI1 (group A), DU26 (groups B), both KI1 and DU26 (group C), and sham points (group D), and one had no acupuncture (group E).
acupuncture on KI1 (group A)(n=10);acupuncture on DU26 (groups B)(n=10);acupuncture on both KI1 and DU26 (group C)(n=10)
Indicator
Time to spontaneous eye openingTime to tracheal extubationTime to following commandsBispectral index(BIS)
Auxiliary Medication
Anesthesia was induced with fentanyl 1 mg/kg, thiopental 5 mg/kg and atracurium 0.5 mg/kg i.v. and maintained with sevo urane and remifentanyl (i.v.) in order to maintain a BIS value < 40. Mechanical ventilation was maintained with a tidal volume of 6–8 mL/kg and a respiratory rate to maintain 30–35 mmHg end tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2). Before the end of surgery ketorolac 30 mg (i.v.) (or paracetamol 1 g (i.v.) in patients allergic to nonsteroidal anti-in ammatory drugs), tramadole 100 mg (i.v.), ranitidine 50 mg (i.v.), and metoclopramide 10 mg (i.v.) were admin- istered and residual neuromuscular block was reversed with neostigmine 2 mg (i.v.) and atropine 1 mg (i.v.).
Stimulation Method
MS
Induction Method
Electroacupuncture Instrument Model
Manufacturer
Frequency
Waveform
Strength
Induction Time
-
-
-
continuous wave
-
Anesthesia administration was stopped at the end of the surgical suture (T0).
Acupuncture_Needle
Needle_Manufacturer
Needle_Depth
0.3×25 mm
Hawatto, Suzhou, China
0.5-0.7 cm deep (KI1), 0.2-0.5 cm deep (DU26)
Description Acupuncture sterile disposable needles were used (0.3 mm × 25 mm; Hwato, Suzhou Medical Appliance Factory, China; sterilized with ethylene oxide gas). Acupuncture was performed by two experienced acupuncturists (LG or EM). Patients received no sensorial or verbal stimulation except for continuous manual stimulation of the inserted acupuncture needles according to the practice of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).
Anesthesia Method
GA
Clinical Trial Type
a prospective randomized controlled study
Adverse Effects
No intra- or post-operative complications occurred in the 47 patients. In particular no complication related to acupuncture ensued.
Contraindications
Anatomic abnormalities or local infections precluding acupuncture
Effector
Time to spontaneous eye opening differed among groups (P=0.002), as well as time to tracheal extubation (P<0.000 1) and time to following commands (P=0.000 6). BIS values differed signi cantly among groups both 5 and 10 min after the end of anesthesia (P<0.000 1 and P=0.000 4, respectively). BIS values of groups D and E were lower than those of the other groups and those of group C were higher. The same pattern was observed also 15 and 30 min after the end of anesthesia, although the difference among groups was not signi cant at these time points (P=0.164 and P=0.104, respectively). Acupuncture on DU26 and KI1 accelerates recovery of consciousness after general anesthesia. Moreover, a possible synergistic effect of DU26 and KI1 is suggested. This issue may play a role in the optimization of operating room management and raise interest about the usefulness of acupuncture on unconsciousness states of different nature.
Acupuncture accelerates recovery after general anesthesia: a prospective randomized controlled trial.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Acupuncture anesthesia was created in the 1950's in China and continues to be used there today during most major surgeries. It is widely used in China for such complex operations as brain, heart, and abdominal surgery. It is popular in China because it is economical, practical, and beneficial to the patients. With acupuncture anesthesia there is less bleeding during surgery and there is also quicker post-operative recovery. OBJECTIVE: This randomized prospective study aims at comparing the effect of two acupoints (Yongquan, KI1 and Renzhong, DU26) with sham acupuncture and no acupuncture on the time to recovery of consciousness after general anesthesia by means of the Bispectral Index monitor (BIS). DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS: This is a prospective randomized controlled study. We randomly assigned 50 patients to 5 groups during recovery from surgical anesthesia. Four groups had acupuncture on KI1 (group A), DU26 (groups B), both KI1 and DU26 (group C), and sham points (group D), and one had no acupuncture (group E). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Bispectral Index (BIS), time to spontaneous eye opening, time to tracheal extubation, and time to following commands were measured as the main outcome measures. RESULTS: Time to spontaneous eye opening differed among groups (P=0.002), as well as time to tracheal extubation (P<0.000 1) and time to following commands (P=0.000 6). BIS values differed significantly among groups both 5 and 10 min after the end of anesthesia (P<0.000 1 and P=0.000 4, respectively). BIS values of groups D and E were lower than those of the other groups and those of group C were higher. The same pattern was observed also 15 and 30 min after the end of anesthesia, although the difference among groups was not significant at these time points (P=0.164 and P=0.104, respectively). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture on DU26 and KI1 accelerates recovery of consciousness after general anesthesia. Moreover, a possible synergistic effect of DU26 and KI1 is suggested. This issue may play a role in the optimization of operating room management and raise interest about the usefulness of acupuncture on unconsciousness states of different nature."
