The effect of electroacustimulation on postoperative nausea, vomiting, and pain in outpatient plastic surgery patients: a prospective, randomized, blinded, clinical trial.

March 4, 2010

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The effect of electroacustimulation on postoperative nausea, vomiting, and pain in outpatient plastic surgery patients: a prospective, randomized, blinded, clinical trial.

Plast Reconstr Surg. 2010 Mar;125(3):989-94

Authors: Larson JD, Gutowski KA, Marcus BC, Rao VK, Avery PG, Stacey DH, Yang RZ

BACKGROUND:: Current rates of postoperative nausea and vomiting experienced by outpatient surgery patients are as high as 20 to 30 percent. Electroacustimulation therapy has been demonstrated to be effective in controlling these symptoms, but trials identifying its efficacy in the outpatient surgery population are lacking. METHODS:: One hundred twenty-two patients undergoing surgical procedures at an outpatient surgery center were randomized to two treatment arms. The first arm received the standardized pharmacologic postoperative nausea and vomiting prevention typical for patients undergoing outpatient surgery, whereas in the second arm, the ReliefBand and pharmacologic measures were used. The ReliefBand is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved electroacustimulation device. Electroacustimulation is a derivative of acupuncture therapy that uses a small electrical current to stimulate acupuncture points on the human body and is thought to relieve nausea, vomiting, and pain. Outcomes measured were pain and nausea symptoms, emetic events, the need for rescue medications, and the time to discharge. RESULTS:: The electroacustimulation arm reported statistically significant lower nausea scores at 30 minutes and 120 minutes postoperatively (p < 0.05). In addition, subgroup analysis demonstrated significant findings in favor of the experimental group, with anatomical subsets of surgical patients requiring less pain medication and shorter times from surgery to discharge when compared with the standard treatment. However, electroacustimulation did not have a significant effect on the amount of pain experienced by patients in any group. CONCLUSION:: The authors’ study demonstrates that electroacustimulation offers added protection against symptoms of postoperative nausea and vomiting in an outpatient cosmetic surgery population, representing a safe and cost-effective addition to current pharmacologic preventive measures.

PMID: 20195124 [PubMed - in process]

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‘Minor’ head injuries can turn serious rapidly, experts say

March 19, 2009

A blow to the head that at first seems minor and does not result in immediate pain or other symptoms can in fact turn out to be a life-threatening brain injury, experts tell CNN.

It’s very common for someone who’s had a fall or been in a car accident to appear perfectly lucid just after the impact but then to suddenly, rapidly deteriorate, Dr. Carmelo Graffagnino, director of Duke University Medical Center’s Neurosciences Critical Care Unit, told CNN.

Actress Natasha Richardson was talking and joking after she fell Monday during a beginner ski lesson, according to officials at the Canadian resort where she was staying. But soon after she returned to her room she complained of head pain and was taken to a nearby hospital, then to a larger medical center in Montreal. She was flown by private jet Tuesday to a New York hospital. She died Wednesday, according to a family statement.

"A patient can appear so deceivingly normal at first," said Graffagnino, director of Duke University Medical Center’s Neurosciences Critical Care Unit. "But they actually have a brain bleed and as the pressure builds up, they’ll experience classic symptoms of a traumatic brain injury."

Read the complete article by Danielle Dellorto, CNN Medical Producer…

• People with head injuries can seem perfectly lucid
• Blood can leak into brain over minutes or hours, causing swelling, pressure
• Important to watch for signs of brain injury: Nausea, severe headache, glassy eyes

Keywords: brain injury, axonal injury, dura mater, fracture, skull, craniotomy, nausea, severe headache, glossy eyes, sudden sleepiness, neuro-ICU, CT Scan, hemorrhage, blood thinner

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Needles, not method, may be acupuncture key

January 20, 2009

Benefits come more from patients’ belief in treatment, study suggests

LONDON – Acupuncture prevents headaches and migraines but faked treatments when needles are incorrectly inserted appear to work nearly as well, German researchers said on Wednesday.

Their findings suggest the benefits of acupuncture may stem more from people’s belief in the technique, said Klaus Linde, a complementary medicine researcher at the Technical University in Munich, who led the analysis published in the Cochrane Review journal.

"Much of the clinical benefit of acupuncture might be due to non-specific needling effects and powerful placebo effects, meaning selection of specific needle points may be less important than many practitioners have traditionally argued," he said in a statement.

Read the complete article Reuters article at MSNBC.com…

Keywords: acupuncture, placebo, headache, hormone, endorphin, stress, pain, nausea

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Integrative Oncology – Acupuncture

January 7, 2009

Integrative Oncology is the synthesis of mainstream care and nonpharmacologic, evidence-based complementary therapies for the control of cancer-related physical and emotional symptoms. This month, we explore the ancient Chinese practice of acupuncture, which is widely used in the palliative care of cancer patients.

"Acupuncture is being used in the palliative care of cancer patients, to alleviate pain and a variety of treatment side effects. It is generally safe when performed by trained practitioners and is well tolerated by patients, including children."

Read the complete article by Barrie Cassileth, PhD…

Keywords: acupuncture, cancer, oncology, pain, fatigue, postoperative, chemotherapy, nausea, vomiting, xerostomia

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Acupuncture beats aspirin for chronic headache

December 2, 2008

Acupuncture works better than drugs like aspirin to reduce the severity and frequency of chronic headaches, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.

A review of studies involving nearly 4,000 patients with migraine, tension headache and other forms of chronic headache showed that that 62 percent of the acupuncture patients reported headache relief compared to 45 percent of people taking medications, the team at Duke University found.

"Acupuncture is becoming a favorable option for a variety of purposes …”

Read the complete article at Reuters…

Keywords: hot flashes, menopausal, chemotherapy, nausea, fertility, post-operative pain, migraine, tension headache , acupuncture

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Acupuncture beats drug to treat hot flashes: study

September 23, 2008

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Acupuncture works as well as a drug commonly used to combat hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms that can accompany breast cancer treatment, and its benefits last longer, without bad side effects, researchers said on Monday.

They tested acupuncture, which began in China more than 2,000 years ago and involves inserting needles into the body, against the Wyeth antidepressant Effexor, for hot flashes in breast cancer patients.

Acupuncture was just as effective as Effexor, also called venlafaxine, in managing symptoms including hot flashes and night sweats, according to researchers led by Dr. Eleanor Walker of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

Read the complete article by Will Dunham…

There were no bad side effects with acupuncture, and women reported increased energy, overall sense of well-being and sexual desire, the researchers said.

Keywords: hot flashes, menopause, breast cancer, nausea, headache, difficulty sleeping, dizziness, blood pressure, fatigue, anxiety, Effexor, venlafaxine, Wyeth,  Eleanor Walker, Henry Ford Hospital, American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology

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So does acupuncture work?

June 10, 2008

Ever since receiving my first ever acupuncture session last month, I have been repeatedly asked whether or not it was effective.

In short, did acupuncture work for me? I refuse to answer for two reasons.

First of all, the main goal of the treatment was to obtain a photo of my face full of needles to accompany an interview in BBC Focus magazine to discuss a book that I have co-authored on the subject of alternative medicine.

Second, why on earth should my personal experience be important, when we have evidence from tens of thousands of patients who have received acupuncture during carefully observed scientific trials?

Read Simon Singh’s complete article…

Keywords: acupuncture, nausea, pain, placebo

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