Effects of TEAS on Stress Response During Extubation of General Anesthesia in Elderly Patients

Effects of Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation on the Stress Response During Extubation After General Anesthesia in Elderly Patients Undergoing Elective Supratentorial Craniotomy

Elderly patients have an increased risk of stress responses during extubation after general anaesthesia for an elective supratentorial craniotomy. How to decrease the stress responses during extubation after general anaesthesia remains challenging for the anaesthesiologist. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) might decrease the stress responses and improve the quality of recovery in the elderly patients who underwent elective supratentorial craniotomy under general anaesthesia.

A total of 100 elderly patients scheduled for elective supratentorial craniotomy under propofol-remifentanil total intravenous anaesthesia were randomly divided to either TEAS group (received stimulation at LI4, PC6, LU7, LU5, LI18 and ST9 acupoints, 2/10Hz, 6-15 mA) or Sham group (received no stimulation). The primary outcomes were the haemodynamic parameters and plasma concentrations of epinephrine (E), norepinephrine (NE) and cortisol (Cor). The secondary outcomes were the consumption of remifentanil and propofol, the time from discontinuation of anesthetics to extubation and reorientation, extubation quality score, the quality of postoperative recovery and postoperative complications.

Inclusion Criteria:

• ASA Ⅱ～Ⅲ
• aged 60-70years
• scheduled for elective supratentorial craniotomy under general anaesthesia

Exclusion Criteria:

• past or current history of cardiovascular and/or cerebrovascular diseases
• diabetes
• pre-existing liver, lung or kidney dysfunction
• psychiatric disorders
• potentially difficult airway
• previous acupuncture treatment
• infection at the stimulus sites