Effect of Electric Acupuncture Stimulation of PC 6 and PC 7 Antiemetic Point on Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting

Kim, Keon Sik; Kim, Dong Soo; Shin, Kwang Il; Kim, Young Suk

Abstract

Nausea, retching and vomiting are among the most common postoperative complaints after general anesthesia. Some effective drugs and approaches were sought to treat postoperative nausea and vomiting, but none of them abolished those complaints completely and without side-effects. We studied postoperative antiemetic effect of electric acupuncture stimulaton (EAS) on PC6 point (Neiguan, on the pericardium meridian) and PC7 point (Daling, on the pericardium meridian) before induction of anesthesia. One hundred patients (ASA I-II) scheduled for transabdominal hysterectomy were randomly selected, premedicated with glycopyrrolate, and divided into two group, the EAS-treated group (experimental group, 50 patients) and the non EAS-treated group (control group, 50 patients). For the EAS-treated group, electrical stimulation of 3Hz was applied for 15 minutes just 45 minutes prior to the induction and as for the non EAS-treated group, no EAS was applied and the incidence of nausea, retching and vomiting were blindly checked every three hours after operation for 12 hours. The incidence of postoperative nausea, retching and vomiting in EAS-treated group 3 hours after operation was 24% as compared to the non EAS-treated group, 54%(p<0.001). Between 3 hours and 6 hours after operation, it was 12% in EAS-treated group and 52% in non EAS-treated group(p<0.001), between 6 hours and 9 hours after operation, it was 26% in EAS-treated group and 64% in non EAS-treated group(p<0.001), and during 9 to 12 hours after operation, it was 28% in EAS-treated group and 60% in non EAS-treated group(p<0.001). For 12 hours after operation, the incidence of postoperative nausea, retching and vomiting in EAS group was significantly lower compared to the non-EAS group, 30% and 68%(p<0.001), respectively. Although definite mechanism is not known, it can be concluded that EAS of PC 6 and PC 7 antiemetic point is very effective in preventing postoperative nausea, retching and vomiting.