RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the analgesic effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on labor. METHODS: Primiparas with single birth and head presentation were enrolled in this study and randomly divided into three groups: TEAS group (n = 76), patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) group (n = 75), and control group without any analgesic measures (n = 78). RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the visual analog scores of the TEAS group and the PCEA group at each time point decreased (P < 0.01). The decrease was greater in the PCEA group than that in the TEAS group (P < 0.01). At 120 minutes after analgesia, there were significant differences in plasma ß-endorphin content between the TEAS group, PCEA group, and control group (P < 0.01). The difference between the PCEA group and the control group was statistically significant (P < 0.01). Among the parturients having a vaginal delivery, the duration of the first stage of labor was significantly shorter in the TEAS group and control group than in the PCEA group (P < 0.01). The duration of the second stage of labor was significantly shorter in the TEAS group than in the PCEA group (P < 0.01). Oxytocin usage rate during labor was significantly lower in the TEAS group and control group than in the PCEA group (P < 0.01), and adverse reactions were significantly fewer in the TEAS group and control group than in the PCEA group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The duration of the first and second stage of labor is significantly shorter in the TEAS group than in the PCEA group. TEAS does not increase the use rate of oxytocin or the rate of cesarean section and will not bring about obvious maternal or fetal adverse reactions.
RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on labor pain. METHODS: A total of 151 primiparas who were vaginal delivery were randomized into a TEAS group (76 cases) and a peridural group (75 cases). In the peridural group, peridural blockage was applied to analgesia. In the TEAS group, TEAS was applied at Hegu (LI 4)ï¼Neiguan (PC 6), Jiaji T10~L1 (EX-B 2) and Ciliao (BL 32), disperse-dense wave (2 Hz/100 Hz), 15-50 mA in current intensity. The analgesic time was from 3 cm to completely opening of cervix. The visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were observed before analgesia, after 30, 60, 120 min of analgesia in the two groups. The time of different stages of labor, usage rate of oxytocin, incidence rate of adverse reaction and amount of postpartum hemorrhage were recorded. The newborn's 1 and 5 min Apgar scores were evaluated. RESULTS: The VAS scores showed a downward trend in the two groups after analgesia (P<0.01), and the change of the TEAS group was less than the peridural group (P<0.01). The active phase on the first stage and second stage of labor in the TEAS group were shorter than the peridural group (P<0.01, P<0.05), there was no significant difference in the time of third stage of labor between the two groups (P>0.05). The usage rate of oxytocin and incidence rate of adverse reaction in the TEAS group were 9.2% (7/76) and 2.6% (2/76), which were lower than 34.7% (26/75) and 18.7% (14/75) in the peridural group (P<0.01). There was no significant difference in the amount of postpartum hemorrhage and newborn's 1 and 5 min Apgar scores between the two groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The analgesic effect of TEAS is inferior to peridural blockage, but TEAS could relieve labor pain to the tolerance, shorten the time of active phase on the first stage and second stage of labor and reduce the use of oxytocin, has mild adverse reaction.
