Wrist-ankle acupuncture for pain after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in patients with liver cancer: a randomized controlled trial.
This study was designed to evaluate the analgesic effect of wrist-ankle acupuncture (WAA) for patients with primary liver cancer (PLC) after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). Sixty PLC patients with post-TACE visual analog pain intensity scores greater than 3 were divided equally into two groups receiving either WAA or oral morphine sulphate (MOR) for post-TACE pain. Pain intensity scores were reassessed at 1, 2, 4, and 6 h after analgesic intervention. Patients were also monitored for adverse reactions to analgesic treatment. Pain scores recorded when the patients first felt pain after TACE showed no statistical difference between the two groups (p > 0.05). WAA and MOR had indistinguishable degrees of pain relief 1, 2, and 4 h after analgesic intervention (p > 0.05). At 6 h after intervention, the WAA group experienced significantly greater pain relief than the MOR group (p < 0.05). Incidence of abdominal distension was lower in the WAA group than in the MOR group (p < 0.05). The results suggest that WAA not only had an analgesic effect equal to or greater than MOR in PLC patients with moderate to severe post-TACE pain, but also reduced the incidence of post-operative abdominal distention.
School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changhai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.
Ke
K
Zeng
Hui-Juan
HJ
Dong
Hong-Yun
HY
Chen
Zhe
Z
Chen
Bai
B
Li
Qing-Hui
QH
Zhou
D015667:Acupuncture Analgesia / Q000379:methods*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000842:Ankle; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016461:Chemoembolization, Therapeutic / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006499:Hepatic Artery; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009020:Morphine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014953:Wrist
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D009020:Morphine