title: Paravertebral transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation reduces movement during general anesthesia with isoflurane.
abstract: We evaluated paravertebral transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) as a means of enhancing anesthesia during hysterectomy. Patients were randomly assigned to experimental (n = 21) and control (n = 20) groups. Anesthesia with isoflurane was performed uniformly for all patients. Paravertebral (T6 and T7) TENS (50 mA, 15 Hz, continuously) was applied in the experimental group. After 15 min of isoflurane, a lower abdominal, skin-to-adipose-tissue incision was made. Seventeen of 21 patients in the experimental group showed no arm or leg movements during the incision, compared to 8 with 20 patients in the control group (P = 0.007). TENS deserves further exploration as an adjunct technique for general anesthesia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical Center, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hao-Po
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Jen-Yan
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Tso
authors.forename: Yi-Shen
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Tsung-Ying
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jieh-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Shiau
authors.forename: Chia-Chih
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Tseng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D005121:Extremities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D007530:Isoflurane; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement; D004561:Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation
chemical_list: D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D007530:Isoflurane