Anaesthesia. 1990 Apr; 45(4): 327-9.

Electro-acupuncture and postoperative emesis.

Ho RT, Jawan B, Fung ST, Cheung HK, Lee JH.

Department of Anesthesiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan, R.O.C.

One hundred unpremedicated female patients of ASA grade 1 or 2 who underwent laparoscopy as outpatients were allocated randomly to one of four groups. All patients received general anaesthesia with fentanyl, thiopentone, halothane, nitrous oxide and oxygen; suxamethonium was given to facilitate tracheal intubation. In the recovery room, group 1 (control) received no treatment; group 2 received electro-acupuncture at the P6 point (Neiguan) on the right side for 15 minutes, group 3 received transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation at the P6 point on the right side for 15 minutes and group 4 received prochlorperazine 5 mg intravenously. Any act of vomiting, including dry retching, during the first 3 postoperative hours was regarded as postoperative emesis. The incidence of postoperative emesis was 11/25 (44%) in group 1, 3/25 (12%, p less than 0.05) in group 2, 9/25 (36%) in group 3, and 3/25 (12%, p less than 0.05) in group 4. Our results suggest that electro-acupuncture is as effective as prochlorperazine, and may be better than transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, in reducing postoperative emesis.