Transcutaneous electric acupoint stimulation reduces rocuronium injection-related pain: a prospective randomized...

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Pain Management
• Neuromodulation

Background:

• Rocuronium injection can cause significant pain and discomfort.
• Various methods are explored to mitigate injection-related pain.
• Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) is a non-invasive technique.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of TEAS in reducing pain associated with rocuronium injection.
• To compare TEAS with a placebo in a randomized controlled trial setting.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 60 patients undergoing elective general anesthesia.
• Patients were allocated to either TEAS or placebo TEAS groups.
• TEAS involved 30 minutes of stimulation at specific acupoints (LI4, PC6) before anesthesia induction.

Main Results:

• The incidence of rocuronium injection pain was significantly lower in the TEAS group (40%) compared to the placebo group (86.7%).
• All patients in the TEAS group reported no or mild pain, versus 50% in the placebo group.
• TEAS demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in pain severity (p<0.001).

Conclusions:

• Pretreatment with TEAS is effective in reducing the frequency and severity of pain from rocuronium injection.
• TEAS offers a safe and effective non-invasive approach for managing injection pain.
• This study supports the use of TEAS as an adjunct therapy in anesthesia.