This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a colleague Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (1) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Morioka, N. Articles by Sessler, D. I. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Morioka, N. Articles by Sessler, D. I. Related Collections Anesthetic Techniques Pharmacology

---

ANESTHETIC PHARMACOLOGY

Electro-Acupuncture at the Zusanli, Yanglingquan, and Kunlun Points Does Not Reduce Anesthetic Requirement

Nobutada Morioka, MD^*, Ozan Akça, MD^*, Anthony G. Doufas, MD, PhD^*, Gregory Chernyak, MD^*, and Daniel I. Sessler, MD^*

*Department of Anesthesiology, University of Louisville, Kentucky; and Ludwig Boltzmann Institute, University of Vienna, Austria

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Daniel I. Sessler, MD, Outcomes Research^TM Institute, 501 E. Broadway, Louisville, KY 40202. Address e-mail to sessler{at}louisville.edu

We tested the hypothesis that electro-acupuncture at the Zusanli, Yanglingquan, and Kunlun acupuncture points on the legs decreases anesthetic requirement. Fourteen young, healthy volunteers were anesthetized with desflurane on two separate days. Needle electrodes were positioned at the three acupuncture points thought to produce a generalized sedative and analgesic effect. Needles were percutaneously placed on treatment days; on control days, they were insulated and taped near the insertion points. The electrodes were stimulated on the treatment day. Stimulation consisted of 2-Hz and 100-Hz currents alternated at 2-s intervals. When the end-tidal desflurane concentration of 5.5% was stable for 15 min, noxious electrical stimuli were administered via 25-gauge needles on both thighs (70 mA at 100 Hz for 10 s). Desflurane concentration was increased 0.5% when movement occurred and decreased 0.5% when it did not. An investigator, blinded to treatment, determined movement. These up-and-down sequences were continued until volunteers crossed from movement to no movement four times. A logistic regression determined the partial pressure of desflurane that produced a 50% likelihood of movement in response to noxious stimulation and consequently identified the minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration equivalent for desflurane. There was no significant difference in minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration equivalents between the electro-acupuncture (4.6% ± 0.6%, mean ± SD) and control (4.6% ± 0.8%) days (P = 0.8). These data provided an 80% power for detecting a difference of 0.35 volume-percent between the groups.

IMPLICATIONS: Electro-stimulation of three general acupuncture points on the leg did not reduce desflurane requirements. This type of acupuncture is thus unlikely to facilitate general anesthesia or decrease the need for anesthetic drugs.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. G. Doufas, R. Komatsu, M. Orhan-Sungur, P. Sengupta, A. Wadhwa, E. Mascha, S. L. Shafer, and D. I. Sessler Neuromuscular Block Differentially Affects Immobility and Cortical Activation at Near-Minimum Alveolar Concentration Anesthesia Anesth. Analg., October 1, 2009; 109(4): 1097 - 1104. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S.-M. Wang, Z. N. Kain, and P. F. White Acupuncture Analgesia: II. Clinical Considerations Anesth. Analg., February 1, 2008; 106(2): 611 - 621. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. V. Chernyak and D. I. Sessler Timing of Acupuncture Stimulation Anesth. Analg., September 1, 2005; 101(3): 927 - 928. [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Chernyak, P. Sengupta, R. Lenhardt, E. Liem, A. G. Doufas, D. I. Sessler, and O. Akca The Timing of Acupuncture Stimulation Does Not Influence Anesthetic Requirement Anesth. Analg., February 1, 2005; 100(2): 387 - 392. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. Meissner, T. Weiss, R. H. Trippe, H. Hecht, C. Krapp, and W. H. Miltner Acupuncture Decreases Somatosensory Evoked Potential Amplitudes to Noxious Stimuli in Anesthetized Volunteers Anesth. Analg., January 1, 2004; 98(1): 141 - 147. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Sakurai, M.-I. Suleman, N. Morioka, O. Akca, and D. I. Sessler Minute Sphere Acupressure Does Not Reduce Postoperative Pain or Morphine Consumption Anesth. Analg., February 1, 2003; 96(2): 493 - 497. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]