Acupuncture in medicine : journal of the British Medical Acupuncture Society
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Effects of electroacupuncture on intraoperative and postoperative analgesic requirement.
Acupuncture has been shown to be effective in experimental and clinical acute pain settings. This study aims to evaluate the effect of preoperative electroacupuncture (EA) on intraoperative and postoperative analgesic (alfentanil and morphine) requirement in patients scheduled for gynaecologic lower abdominal surgery. Ninety patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Group I (control group)--received placebo EA for 45 minutes before induction of general anaesthesia (GA); Group II--preoperative EA instituted 45 minutes before induction of GA; Group III--45 minutes of postoperative EA. ⋯ Postoperative morphine consumption was numerically lower in Group II compared with the other groups; however, the difference was statistically significant only during the period of 6-12 hours between Group II [0.03 (0.05) mg/kg] and Group I [0.10 (0.11) mg/kg] (p = 0.015), and Group II and Group III [0.08 (0.10) mg/kg] (p = 0.010). The 24-hour cumulative morphine consumption for Group II (0.52 +/- .19mg/kg) was less than that for either Group I I0.68 +/- 38mg/kg) or Group III (0.58 +/- .27mg/kg), but the difference did not reach significance. In conclusion, preoperative EA leads to a reduced intraoperative alfentanil consumption, though this effect may not be specific, and has a morphine sparing effect during the early postoperative period.
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We present a case of septicaemia and compartment syndrome of the leg in a diabetic patient, following acupuncture to his calf. An emergency decompression fasciotomy was performed on the patient and gram-positive cocci were grown from the posterior compartment wound swab cultures and group A streptococcus from his blood cultures. He remained in the Intensive Therapy Unit postoperatively, requiring inotropic support and intravenous antibiotics for his septicaemia. We would like to remind acupuncturists, to consider the possibility of heightened risks in immunocompromised patients.