[Effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation on catheter related bladder discomfort after ureteroscopic lithotripsy].

Objective: To verify the efficacy of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on catheter related bladder discomfort after ureteroscopic lithotripsy.
Methods: Sixty male patients with selective ureteroscopic lithotripsy under general anesthesia were randomly divided into a TEAS group (30 cases, one case dropped off) and a sham TEAS group (30 cases, 2 cases dropped off). Before anesthesia induction, the patients in the TEAS group were treated with TEAS at Guanyuan (CV 4), Zhongji (CV 3), Zusanli (ST 36) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) for 30 min, with disperse-dense wave, frequency of 2 Hz/ 15 Hz and current intensity of 6 to 10 mA. The patients in the sham TEAS group were treated with the same TEAS device at the same acupoints, but no electrical stimulation was given. After 30 min, anesthesia induction started. The total dosages of propofol and remifentanil in the two groups were recorded, and the time of operation and anesthesia, the time of wake-up and the time of stay in postanesthesia care unit (PACU) were recorded. The postoperative recovery was evaluated 5 min (T ₁ ) after wake-up, 1 h (T ₂ ), 2 h (T ₃ ) and 6 h (T ₄ ) after the operation, including the severity of urinary tract irritation and visual analogue scale (VAS) score. The occurrence of adverse reactions was observed, such as nausea and vomiting, dizziness and headache.
Results: The dosage of remifentanil in the TEAS group was significantly lower than that in the sham TEAS group ( P <0.05); but the dosage of propofol had no significant difference between the two groups ( P >0.05). Compared with the sham TEAS group, the incidence of more-than-moderate urinary tract irritation symptoms in the TEAS group was reduced ( P <0.05), and the VAS scores 1 and 2 h after operation were reduced ( P <0.05).
Conclusion: The 30-min TEAS at Guanyuan (CV 4), Zhongji (CV 3), Zusanli (ST 36) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) before anesthesia induction could significantly control the severity of postoperative urinary tract irritation in patients with ureteroscopic lithotripsy, reduce the dosage of anesthetic drugs and relieve postoperative pain.