Evaluation of the Analgesic Effect of TENS After Cesarean Section and Its Effect on Postpartum Stress / 上海针灸杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To observe the analgesic effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) after cesarean section, and its effect on postpartum stress-related hormones. Method By following a double-blinded design, 58 primiparas were randomized into TENS group, PCA group, and sham TENS group. The time of pre-analgesia was considered as 1 h after the operation. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was measured at 7 time points (pre-analgesia, 5 min after analgesia, 15 min after analgesia, 30 min after analgesia, 60 min after analgesia, 24 h after analgesia, and 48 h after analgesia). The postpartum stress-related hormones adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) and prostaglandin (PG) were detected at 3 time points before the operation (24 h prior to cesarean section), 24 h after the operation, and 48 h after the operation. The effects of the three analgesic methods on postpartum stress-related hormones were compared. Result The VAS score was significantly lower in TENS group than in sham TENS group 30 min after analgesia (P<0.05); there were no significant differences in VAS scores between TENS and PCA groups since 30 min after analgesia (P>0.05). At 24 h prior to the operation, and 24 h and 48 h after the operation, there were no significant between-group differences in ACTH (P>0.05). At 24 h prior to the operation, and 24 h and 48 h after the operation, there were no significant between-group differences in the level of PG (P>0.05); but in TENS and PCA groups, the PG level at 48 h after the operation was significantly lower than that at 24 h after the operation (P<0.05). Conclusion TENS hascertain analgesic effect, and it can reach equivalent analgesic effect compared with PCA when working over 30 min. Both TENS and PCA can down-regulate the level of PG. The three analgesia methods produce similar effects on blood ACTH.