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Study of Evodia hot compress plus electro-acupuncture in patients who have undergone abdominal surgery
Zhiqiang Chen1, Lixing Cao1, Zehuai Wen1
1Department of Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Second Clinical Teaching Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine Guangzhou 510120, China.
Background:
The importance of postoperative gastrointestinal function recovery is being increasingly recognized. In this multi-center randomized controlled study, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of Evodia hot compress (ECS) plus electro-acupuncture (EA) for patients who developed postoperative gastrointestinal tract dysfunction after abdominal surgery.
Methods:
1009 patients who developed postoperative gastrointestinal tract dysfunction after abdominal surgery were enrolled. All patients received conventional therapies for 7 days from the 1st postoperative day and were randomly assigned to receive coarse salt hot compress, Evodia hot compress or Evodia hot compress plus electro-acupuncture twice a day for 7 days.
Results:
The mean time to first flatus and to first bowel sounds was comparable among the four groups (P>0.05). The control group had a significantly shorter time to defecation compared with patients receiving coarse salt hot compress, Evodia hot compress or Evodia hot compress plus electro-acupuncture (P<0.05). In patients undergoing open hepatectomy, the time to first defecation was the shortest in those who received Evodia hot compress plus electro-acupuncture (89.3±25.5 h), which was significantly different from that of controls(134±31.1 h), those who received coarse salt hot compress (106.7±36.4 h) and those who received Evodia hot compress (109.9±42.1 h) (P<0.05) in patients undergoingopen cholecystectomy, the time to first defecation was the shortest in those who received Evodia hot compress (73.1± 24.7), which was significantly different from that of controls (77.8±29.7), those who received coarse salt hot compress 90.5±30.2) and those who received Evodia hot compress plus electro-acupunctur (83.9±34.0).
Conclusion:
Evodia hot compress plus electro-acupuncture confers benefit in postoperative recovery of gastrointestinal function of patients who have undergone abdominal surgery and it is overall safe to use.
Trial Registration:
Chinese Clinical Trial RegistryChiCTR-TRC-09000527.
