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Capsicum plasters on acupoints decrease the incidence of emergence agitation in pediatric patients
Paediatric Anaesthesia, 05/10/2012
Acar HV et al. – Application of capsicum plasters on acupoints offers a valuable choice in the prevention of emergence agitation (EA) in children.
Methods- Fifty patients undergoing elective adenoidectomy and/or tonsillectomy who aged between 2 and 10 were included to the study.
- Patients were divided into two groups, and capsicum plasters (acupuncture) or inactive plasters (sham) were applied on bilateral HT 7 points preoperatively.
- Pain, emergence agitation, and side effects were evaluated for 15min postoperatively.
- Incidence of EA (PAED scale) (28.0% vs 60.0) and postoperative side effects was lower in acupuncture group than in sham group while there was no significant difference in the severity of EA between groups.
- Duration of recovery was shorter in acupuncture group.
- Pain scores (CHEOPS scale) were comparable between groups.
- EA patients were noted to have greater age and more retching than non-EA patients.
- Postoperative side effects such as retching, laryngospasm, and vomiting were seen more frequently in the patients with EA.
