Acupuncture as an adjunct for sedation during lithotripsy

J Altern Complement Med. 2007 Mar;13(2):241-6. doi: 10.1089/acm.2006.6262.

Abstract

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.

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

Subjects: Adult patients who were scheduled to receive elective lithotripsy procedures.

Interventions: 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.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Acupuncture Therapy / methods*
  • Adult
  • Anesthesia, Local / adverse effects*
  • Anxiety / therapy*
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Kidney Calculi / surgery
  • Lithotripsy / adverse effects*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pain, Postoperative / therapy*
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Ureteral Calculi / surgery