OBJECTIVETo assess the impacts on postoperative nausea and vomiting of the patients with laparoscopic surgery undergoing the general anesthesia by electroacupuncture (EA) at different frequencies at bilateral Neiguan (PC 6).

METHODSOne hundred and twenty female patients with laparoscopic surgery undergoing the general anesthesia were randomized into 4 groups: 2 Hz EA treatment group (group A), 2 Hz/100 Hz EA treatment group (group B), 100 Hz EA treatment group (group C) and a control group (group D), 30 cases in each one. The same anesthetic program was adopted in each group. For the patients in A, B and C groups, in the first half a hour undergoing the conventional drug anesthesia, acupuncture was applied to bilateral Neiguan (PC 6). After arrival of qi, HANS-200A electroacupuncture apparatus was connected, at the frequency as 2 Hz, 2 Hz/100 Hz and 100 Hz separately. The electric stimulation was discontinued at the end of surgery. The life physical signs after surgery, the occurrence of postoperative nausea and vomiting and the severity grades of postoperative nausea and vomiting were observed and recorded for the patients in each group.

RESULTSThe differences in the postoperative 1 h heart rate, mean arterial pressure (MAP), finger pulse oxygen saturation and respiratory frequency were not significant statistically in comparison of the patients among groups (all P > 0.05). The incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting of the patients in group B was lower apparently than that in A, C and D groups [10.0% (3/30) vs 30.0% (9/30), 36.7% (11/30), 53.3% (16/30), all P < 0.01]. The severity of postoperative nausea and vomiting of the patients in group B was lower apparently than that in the rest three groups (all P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe electroacupuncture at 2 Hz/100 Hz reduces effectively the incidence and the severity of postopera tive nausea and vomiting of the patients with laparoscopic surgery undergoing the general anesthesia.