Applications of meridian electrical conductance for renal colic: a prospective study.
OBJECTIVE
Renal colic caused by ureteral stone is commonly encountered in the emergency department (ED). This study was designed to measure meridian electrical conductance of patients with ureteral stone in emergency settings.


METHODS
A cohort of patients who had ureteral calculus and acute renal colic and who had visited the ED was enrolled in this study. A device, the design of which is based on the Ryodoraku theory, was used to measure the meridian electrical conductance of patients in the ED. Sixty (60) patients (aged 42.0 +/- 12.6 years) who had a primary ED diagnosis of ureteral calculus or renal colic were enrolled. Thirty (30) healthy volunteers (aged 40.8 +/- 11.7 years) were recruited to serve as controls.


RESULTS
Statistical analysis showed that (1) the average electrical conductance of the patient group was statistically lower than that of the control group (p < 0.01), (2) the average index of sympathovagal balance of the patient group was statistically higher than that of the control group (p < 0.01), (3) the average coefficient of variation of the electrical conductance and index of sympathovagal balance in the patient group was statistically different from that in the control group (p < 0.01), and (4) the patients who needed intervention had a higher autonomic nervous imbalance than the patients who had spontaneous stone passage (p < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Measures of electrical conductance, especially the index of sympathovagal balance, may be used as valuable supplementary diagnostic methods for selective intervention in patients with acute renal colic.
Lee
Chao-Te
CT
Graduate Institute of Integrated Medicine and Graduate Institute of Acupuncture Science, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Chang
Yung-Hsien
YH
Lin
Wei-Yong
WY
Xu
Jian-Ming
JM
Chen
Huey-Yi
HY
Chou
Pei-Lung
PL
Cheng
Ching-Wan
CW
Chen
Yuh-Lien
YL
Lin
Fen-Yen
FY
Tsai
Fuu-Jen
FJ
Huang
Hann-Luen
HL
Man
Kee-Ming
KM
Liu
Po-Len
PL
Liu
Jung-Tung
JT
Chen
Wen-Chi
WC
Chen
Yung-Hsiang
YH
D000208:Acute Disease; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017097:Electric Impedance; D015671:Electroacupuncture / Q000379:methods*; D055724:Electrophysiological Phenomena; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016740:Meridians; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D056844:Renal Colic / Q000628:therapy*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult