Effects of electroacupuncture in postanaesthetic shivering during regional anaesthesia

INTERVENTION: 1.In active acupuncture group, trained and accredited acupuncturist performed acupuncture on ST36 and ST37 bilaterally in a depth not over 0.5 cun before anaesthesia. Then an electro‐stimulator NihonRiko TOKKI MOEL III (NihonRiko Medical Co., Ltd., Nagasaki, Japan) was connected to the needles with a current of 1 mA and a frequency of 3 Hz for 30 minutes. 2. Subarachnoid anaesthesia was instituted at either L3/4 or L4/5 interspaces. Hyperbaric bupivacaine, 5 mg/ml, 15 mg was injected using a 25G Quincke spinal needle (B. Braun Melsungen AG, Melsungen, Germany). Both the intervention group and the sham group received spinal anaesthesia. CONDITION: postanesthetic shivering PRIMARY OUTCOME: Shivering was graded using a scale similar to that validated by Tsai and Chu*: 0 = no shivering, 1 = piloerection or peripheral vasoconstriction but no visible shivering, 2 = muscular activity in only one muscle group, 3 = muscular activity in more than one muscle group but not generalized, and 4 = shivering involving the whole body. ; ; *Tsai YC, Chu KS. A comparison of tramadol, amitriptyline, and meperidine for postepidural anesthetic shivering in parturients. Anesth Analg 2001; 93: 1288‐92. tympanic temperature as assessed using an infrared noncontact ear thermometer SECONDARY OUTCOME: artirial O2 saturation assessed using pulse oximeter blood pressure assessed using DINAMAP XL VITAL SIGNS MONITOR heart rate assessed using Electrocardiography monitoring INCLUSION CRITERIA: subjects (ASA grade I or II) scheduled for elective ureterorendoscopy (URS) surgical procedures performed under spinal anaesthesia