Single-needle acupuncture alleviates gag reflex during transesophageal echocardiography: a blinded, randomized, controlled pilot trial.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of single-needle acupuncture in suppressing gag-reflex in transesophageal echocardiography (TEE).


METHODS
Prospective, blinded trial. Settings/locations: Patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack undergoing TEE because of presumed cardioembolic origin in a specialized stroke unit of the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany. Subjects/Study interventions: Forty-one (41) patients were studied. Patients received single-needle acupuncture with a 0.2 x 13 mm disposable acupuncture needle (Suzhou Medical Appliances, China), 10-mm deep either at Chengjiang (midline between lower lip and chin) or superficially at a sham point (tip of the chin) during TEE or no acupuncture for alleviating gag reflex.


METHODS
Severity of gagging was rated on a visual-analogue scale.


RESULTS
The acupuncture group experienced significantly less gagging than the sham group (p = 0.037) or the nonacupuncture group (p = 0.013).


CONCLUSIONS
Acupuncture of CV24 is an easy to apply and effective method to reduce gag reflex during TEE.
Rösler
Alexander
A
Department of Neurology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Schleusenweg 2-16, 60528 Frankfurt/Main, Germany. Alexander.Roesler@kgu.de
Otto
Bettina
B
Schreiber-Dietrich
Dagmar
D
Steinmetz
Helmuth
H
Kessler
Kirn R
KR
D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002681:China; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005683:Gagging / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008046:Lip; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D020521:Stroke / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome