Acupuncture as an adjunct for sedation during lithotripsy.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether a combination of auricular and body acupuncture is effective as an adjunct for the preprocedural anxiety and pain management in patients undergoing lithotripsy procedures.


METHODS
Randomized controlled study. SETTING AND LOCATION: Lithotripsy suite located at the Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven CT.


METHODS
Adult patients who were scheduled to receive elective lithotripsy procedures.


METHODS
Acupuncture group: Preprocedural auricular acupuncture intervention combined with intraprocedural electroacupuncture stimulation (n = 29); Sham control group: Preprocedural sham auricular acupuncture intervention combined with intraprocedural sham electroacupuncture stimulation (n = 27). OUTCOMES MEASUREMENT: Preprocedural anxiety, intraprocedural alfentanil consumption, visual analogue scale for pain.


RESULTS
Patients in the acupuncture group were less anxious preprocedure than those in the Sham Control Group 32 (29-34) versus 40 (35-45) (p = 0.029). Similarly, patients in the Acupuncture Group used a lesser amount of alfentanil than those in the sham control group (p = 0.040). The adjustable alfentanil consumption as expressed by median rate of alfentanil consumption of 1 (0.6-1.6) microg kg(-1) minute(-1) in the acupuncture group was lower than that of 1.5 (0.9-2.3) microg kg(-1) minute(-1) in the sham control group. Patients in the Acupuncture group also reported lower pain scores on admission to the recovery room (p = 0.014).


CONCLUSIONS
A combination of auricular and body acupuncture can be used as an adjunct treatment to decrease preprocedural anxiety and intraprocedural analgesia in patients undergoing lithotripsy.
Wang
Shu-Ming
SM
Department of Anesthesiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8041, USA. shu-ming.wang@yale.edu
Punjala
Mamatha
M
Weiss
Dana
D
Anderson
Kevin
K
Kain
Zeev N
ZN
D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D000328:Adult; D000772:Anesthesia, Local / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007669:Kidney Calculi / Q000601:surgery; D008096:Lithotripsy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014514:Ureteral Calculi / Q000601:surgery