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[Electrical point stimulation (P-STIM) via ear acupuncture: a randomized, double-blind, controlled pilot study in
R Likar1, H Jabarzadeh, I Kager
1Abteilung für Anästhesiologie und Intensivmedizin, LKH Klagenfurt, Klagenfurt. rudolf.likar@kabeg.at
Aim:
The aim of this study was to determine whether P-STIM-verum in patients undergoing laparoscopic nephrectomies resulted in a lower consumption of analgesics and an improvement of pain scores compared with P-STIM-placebo when administered for acute peri- and postperative pain.
Methods:
The study was carried out in a double-blind, randomized, controlled manner. Forty-four patients were randomised into 2 groups. The P-STIM device was applied to each patient 30 minutes pro-operatively. The Stimulation was applied over 96 hours. The P-STIM-verum group received subthreshold stimulation. The P-STIM-placebo group received no stimulation. Premedication and anaesthesia were applied in a standardised fashion. The efficacy of treatment was evaluated using a postoperative visual analogue scale (at rest and on exertion) and by dermining postoperative analgesic consumption.
Results:
The P-STIM-verum group demonstrated better visual analogue at rest and on exertion then the P-STIM-placebo group. The postoperative consumption of morphine-hydrochloride in the first 6 h significantly less in the P-STIM-verum group. The time of first analgesic request was significantly later in the P-STIM-verum group compared with the P-STIM-placebo group.
Conclusions:
In this study we were able to demonstrate, that pre- and postoperative P-STIM applied in patients undergoing laparoscopic nephrectomies seems to be an effective, simply applied method with few side-effects for reducing pain and postoperative analgesic consumption.
