A non-randomised clinical study (NRS) was carried out in a tertiary care hospital in Tehran, Iran on 228 consecutive patients undergoing elective surgeries under general anaesthesia. Of these, 114 patients were assigned to the acupuncture group and treated with body acupuncture at the PC6 point, while the remaining 114 patients received no preventive care and were treated with routine medical treatment where necessary.
Sample Count
228
Control
Std
Controlgroup (n=114)
Experiment
Intervention group(n=114)
Indicator
Postoperative complicationsTotal sore throatsSore throats needing medical care
Auxiliary Medication
Sedation was started with 2–3mg/kg midazolam and 3mg/kg fentanyl and then anaesthesia was induced with 6 mg/ kg thiopental sodium, 0.5 mg/kg athracurium and 1.5 mg/kg lidocaine. Moreover, boluses of fentanyl (1mg/kg) and atracurium besylate (0.2mg/kg) were administered every 30 min. Medical treatment including oral painkillers (paracetamol 500 mg every 4–6 h), lidocaine spray (two puffs every 6 h) and intravenous analgesics (3 mg morphine sulfate in a time interval of not less than 2 h) was administered for postoperative sore throat upon request by the patient if indicated.
Stimulation Method
MS
Induction Method
Electroacupuncture Instrument Model
Manufacturer
Frequency
Waveform
Strength
Induction Time
-
-
-
-
-
30 min
Acupuncture_Needle
Needle_Manufacturer
Needle_Depth
0.3×50 mm
-
-
Description induction of general anaesthesia by inserting a fine sterile acupuncture needle at PC6 bilaterally, 5 cm above the wrist, and stimulating the point manually for a minimum of 30 min.
Anesthesia Method
AAA
Clinical Trial Type
A non-randomised clinical study
Effector
Of the 114 patients in the acupuncture group, 16 patients (14%) experienced sore throat within the first 24 h postoperatively, which was significantly lower compared to the 34 patients (29.8%) with sore throat in the medical treatment group (p<0.05). However, the frequency of patients with severe sore throat requiring medical treatment did not differ significantly (12.3% vs 16.7%, p>0.05).
Acupuncture in preventing postoperative anaesthesia-related sore throat: a comparison with no acupuncture.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Postoperative sore throat occurs frequently in surgical patients as a result of tracheal intubation. Despite advances in medical and anaesthetic care, the incidence of postoperative sore throat remains high. Our study aimed to assess the efficacy of acupuncture in the prevention of postoperative sore throat following general anaesthesia. METHODS: A non-randomised clinical study (NRS) was carried out in a tertiary care hospital in Tehran, Iran on 228 consecutive patients undergoing elective surgeries under general anaesthesia. Of these, 114 patients were assigned to the acupuncture group and treated with body acupuncture at the PC6 point, while the remaining 114 patients received no preventive care and were treated with routine medical treatment where necessary. The incidence of sore throat within the first 24 h postoperatively was then compared between the two study groups. RESULTS: Of the 114 patients in the acupuncture group, 16 patients (14%) experienced sore throat within the first 24 h postoperatively, which was significantly lower compared to the 34 patients (29.8%) with sore throat in the medical treatment group (p<0.05). However, the frequency of patients with severe sore throat requiring medical treatment did not differ significantly (12.3% vs 16.7%, p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that acupuncture could be considered as an option in prevention of postoperative anaesthesia-related sore throat."
Souce
Acupunct Med. 2013 Sep;31(3):272-5. doi: 10.1136/acupmed-2012-010249. Epub 2013 May 10.
