The Analysis Of Factors Influencing The Effect Of Acupuncture Anesthesia

Zhuang Xinliang, Zhou Juqin, Zhou Jingjuan, Hua Huijuan (Shanghai First People's Hospital)

In clinical practice, many factors may exert their influence on the effect of acupuncture anesthesia, and in the present study we selected thyroidectomy patients undergoing acupuncture anesthesia, for it has always given fairly steady and satisfactory results. The emphasis of the study was laid on the effect of point selection, supplementary medication and patients' pain tolerance on the results of acupuncture anesthesia, and when one of the factors was studied, the difference of the other factors among the patients was keep at a minimun as far as possible. Of more than 1,700 thydroidectomy cases, 440 patients were selected, who had the same point selection, approach of stimulation and supplementary medication. The analysis included:


1) Comparision of the anesthetic efficacy between the group of selecting points Hegu, Neiguan according to the course of the Channels, and the group of selecting the point Futu following the principle of selecting the points along the nerve innervating the operation site and the ear needling group, with 100 cases in each: In all the three groups, the effectiveness of over 85% of the patients ranged in grade I and II without statistically significant difference. The grade I effectiveness was highest in Futu group, the difference between the Futu group and the other two groups was statistically significant.


2) A comparison of anesthetic effect between 5 groups (340 cases of thyroidectomy under acupuncture anesthesia) using different supplementary drugs: The grade I and II effectiveness was higher in the group using narcotic analgesic drugs pethidine than in groups using other analgesics and also higher than the group without any supplementary medication at all. The combined use of neuroleptic drugs droperidol or perphenazine and narcotic analgesic drugs may increase the effectiveness of acupuncture anesthesia and reduce the dosage of narcotic analgesics, showing significant difference statistically.


3) An analysis of anesthetic effectiveness in 50 cases of patients undergoing subtotal thyroidectomy with electric needling through the Futu point and showing various degree of tolerance of pain and electrical stimulation: X{2} test showed statistical significance of the correlation between the pain tolerance and the effectiveness of acupuncture anesthesia, while no significance was seen between the effect of various degrees of tolerance to electric stimulation.