The paper introduces one case of intractable beriberi treated with acupuncture of He's three-promotion needling method. The patient visited the hospital because of "repeated redness and swelling of the feet, combined with itching for over 2 years, aggravated in recent 2 days on the left foot". The chief complaints included redness and swelling of the left foot, with the normal walking disturbed, poor appetite, and abdominal distention after meal. The case was identified as beriberi (downward flowing of damp heat, and dysfunction of spleen in transportation due to deficiency). In treatment, using the fire needling technique of acupuncture, Bafeng (EX-LE10) on the left side were stimulated (warming-promotion method). The blood drops were squeezed in the local, if less bleeding was presented, the three-edge needle was used to prick the local area where the acupoint located (strong-promotion method). Afterward, the regular acupuncture was delivered at bilateral Yinlingquan (SP9), Zusanli (ST36) and Sanyinjiao (SP6), as well as Yanglingquan (GB34) and Xuanzhong (GB39) on the left side (mild-promotion method). The therapeutic regimen was adjusted flexibly according to the changes of the symptoms. After treated for 3 weeks, the symptoms disappeared.
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy/instrumentation* ; Acupuncture Points ; Male ; Beriberi/therapy* ; Middle Aged

BACKGROUND:Buprenorphine transdermal patches have the characteristics of stable blood concentration, long duration of analgesia, respiratory depression and less side effects, which have been widely used in the treatment of moderate to severe chronic pain. OBJECTIVE:To observe the clinical outcome of preoperative analgesia by buprenorphine transdermal patches for pain management after posterior lumbar surgery. METHODS: Eighty patients scheduled for posterior lumbar decompression and interbody fusion under general anesthesia were enroled, 45 males and 35 females, aged 42-71 years, who were randomly divided into two groups, 40 cases in each group: experimental group and control group. In the experimental group, buprenorphine transdermal patches were given 2 days prior to the internal fixation, and intravenous injection of parecoxib was given for postoperative pain management. In the control group, placebo patches were given prior to the internal fixation, and self-control vein analgesia pump and intravenous injection of parecoxib were given for postoperative pain management. Visual analog scale scores were recorded at 6, 12, 24, 48 hours after surgery as wel as doses of tramadol hydrochloride and pethidine hydrochloride used postoperatively and side effects. The patient's satisfaction, drainage and blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein level at 48 hours postoperatively were detected and recorded in the two groups. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:There was no significant difference between these two groups in visual analog scale scores, dosage of tramadol hydrochloride and pethidine hydrochloride used postoperatively, postoperative drainage amount, leukocyte count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein level (P > 0.05). Postoperative incidence of nausea, vomiting and delirium was lower in the experimental group than the control group (P < 0.05), but the patient's satisfaction in the experimental group was better than that in the control group (P< 0.05). These findings indicate that buprenorphine transdermal patches have better preemptive analgesia for posterior lumbar surgery, with less adverse effects and better patient's satisfaction.