[Effect of auricular point sticking therapy on perioperative pain in patients with partial lung resection]

To observe the analgesic effect of auricular point sticking therapy during the perioperative stage in the patients with partial lung resection.

A total of 92 patients with partial lung resection were randomized into an auricular point group (31 cases, 1 case dropped off), the sham-auricular point group (30 cases) and a medication group (31 cases, 1 case dropped off). The routine medication for analgesia was provided in all of the three groups. In the auricular point group, 1 day before operation, the auricular point sticking therapy was applied at shenmen (TF₄), sympathetic (AH_6a), subcortex (AT₄), brain stem (AT_3,4i), anterior ear lobe (LO₄), chest (AH₁₀) and lung (CO₁₄), retained till the third day after operation. In the sham-auricular point group, the auricular adhesive tape without semen vaccariae was used at the same points as the auricular point group. Separately, the scores of visual analogue scale (VAS) in 8, 16, 24, 48 h and 72 h after operation, the time for obtaining the mean of the postoperative VAS score<3 points, the scores of hospital anxiety and depression scale (HAD) in 8, 72 h after operation and the plasma concentration of β-endorphin in 24, 48 h after operation, as well as the adverse reactions after operation were recorded in the patients of each group.

In 8, 16, 24, 48 h and 72 h after operation, VAS scores in the auricular point group were lower than those in the sham-auricular point group and the medication group separately (P<0.05). In the auricular point group, 16 h after operation the mean of VAS score was less than 3 points, but in the sham-auricular point group and the medication group, 48 h after operation, such a mean score of VAS was obtained. In 8, 72 h after operation, HAD score in the auricular point group was lower than that in the sham-auricular point group and the medication group respectively. In 24, 48 h after operation, the concentration of plasmaβ-endorphin was all higher than that in the sham-auricular point group and the medication group respectively (P<0.05). In 24 h after operation, the plasma concentration ofβ-endorphin in the sham-auricular point group was higher than the medication group (P<0.05). The incidence of adverse reaction in the auricular point group was lower than that in the sham-auricular point group and the medication group respectively (P<0.05).

Auricular point sticking therapy relieves perioperative pain, shortens analgesic time, releases anxious and depressive emotions and reduces postoperative adverse reaction in the patients with partial lung resection. The analgesic mechanism is probably related to the increase of plasma concentration of β-endorphin.