Description Lung, Shenmen and Knee points；three non-acupuncture points on the auricular helix
Experimental Description
Twenty patients randomly received a true AA procedure (Lung, Shenmen and Knee points) or sham procedure (three non-acupuncture points on the auricular helix) before ambulatory knee arthroscopy.
Sample Count
20
Control
Sham
sham group(n=10)
Experiment
AA group(n=10)
Indicator
Post-operative ibuprofen takenVisual analog scale(VAS)Total piritramide requirementDuration of general anesthesiaTime from tracheal extubation to dischargeDuration of night's sleep after surgeryTime to discharge from the anesthesia recovery roomHeart rate(HR)Blood pressure(BP)Side effectsPostoperative Nausea and Vomiting(PONV)SedationPruritus
Auxiliary Medication
Operations were conducted in the mornings and anesthesia was induced intravenously with propofol (1.5–2 mg kg−1) and continuous infusion of remifentanil (0.2 μg kg−1 min−1). Cis-atracurium (0.1 mg kg−1) was used to facilitate tracheal intubation. Anesthesia was maintained by continuous infusions of propofol (4-8 mg kg−1 h−1) to prevent spontaneous movements during surgery and to ensure that heart rate and mean arterial pressure were within 20% of baseline values. Post-operative analgesia was provided on demand in the anesthesia recovery room using incremental boluses of weak opioid agonist piritramide 0.02 mg kg−1. They were encouraged to stimulate the needles for 5 min every time they experienced pain >40 mm (VAS-100) and to take oral ibuprofen only 10 min after, if pain persisted. Ibuprofen was titrated in single 200 mg doses at intervals of at least 1 h, to a maximum of 1000 mg, until the follow-up examination. If, after receiving the maximum dose, the patients still experienced pain with intensity VAS >40 mm, oral tramadol 50 mg at 1 h intervals, to a maximum of 200 mg, was allowed as rescue medication. The AA needles were withdrawn during the follow-up examination the next morning and the amount of ibuprofen and tramadol used (self-reported tablet count) was registered.
Stimulation Method
MS
Induction Method
Electroacupuncture Instrument Model
Manufacturer
Frequency
Waveform
Strength
Induction Time
-
-
-
-
-
inserted before surgery, fixed with flesh-colored adhesive tape and retained in situ after surgery until the following morning，They were encouraged to stimulate the needles for 5 min every time they experienced pain >40 mm (VAS-100) and to take oral ibuprofen only 10 min after
Acupuncture_Needle
Needle_Manufacturer
Needle_Depth
0.22×1.5 mm
Helio Medical Supplies, USA
-
Description The needles had a diameter of 0.22 mm and were 1.5 mm long. The AA group received acupuncture at three specific acupuncture points ipsilateral to the surgery site: Knee joint, Shenmen and Lung
Anesthesia Method
AAA
Clinical Trial Type
random
Contraindications
Patients were not included if they had a history of opioid medication; were unable to understand the consent form or how to use a 100 mm visual analogue scale for pain measurement (VAS-100, where 0 mm = no pain, 100 mm = the worst pain imaginable); had a history of alcohol abuse, psychiatric disease, or both; had local auricular infection or significant auricular deformation; or had prosthetic cardiac valves
Effector
Ibuprofen consumption after surgery in the AA group was lower than in the control group: median 500 versus 800 mg,P= 0.043. Pain intensity on a 100 mm visual analogue scale for pain measurement and other parameters were similar in both groups. Thus AA might be useful in reducing the post-operative analgesic requirement after ambulatory knee arthroscopy.
Auricular Acupuncture for Pain Relief after Ambulatory Knee Arthroscopy-A Pilot Study.
Abstract
Auricular acupuncture (AA) is effective in treating various pain conditions, but there have been no analyses of AA for the treatment of pain after ambulatory knee surgery. We assessed the range of analgesic requirements under AA after ambulatory knee arthroscopy. Twenty patients randomly received a true AA procedure (Lung, Shenmen and Knee points) or sham procedure (three non-acupuncture points on the auricular helix) before ambulatory knee arthroscopy. Permanent press AA needles were retained in situ for one day after surgery. Post-operative pain was treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory ibuprofen, and weak oral opioid tramadol was used for rescue analgesic medication. The quantity of post-operative analgesics and pain intensity were used to assess the effect of AA. The incidence of analgesia-related side effects, time to discharge from the anesthesia recovery room, heart rate and blood pressure were also recorded. Ibuprofen consumption after surgery in the AA group was lower than in the control group: median 500 versus 800 mg, P = 0.043. Pain intensity on a 100 mm visual analogue scale for pain measurement and other parameters were similar in both groups. Thus AA might be useful in reducing the post-operative analgesic requirement after ambulatory knee arthroscopy."
Souce
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2005 Jun;2(2):185-189. doi: 10.1093/ecam/neh097. Epub 2005 May 11.
