eCAM Advance Access published online on October 29, 2009
eCAM, doi:10.1093/ecam/nep172
Auricular Acupunctures are Effective for the Prevention of Postoperative Agitation in Old Patients
1Multidisciplinary Pain Centre, Aichi Medical University, School of Medicine, 2Department of Surgery, Toki General Hospital, Gifu and 3Departments of Anesthesiology, Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Nursing, Kochi Medical School, Japan
Postoperative cognitive problems and delirium are not uncommon in the elderly. We reported four cases in which auricular acupunctures on the Shenmen and Point Zero points successfully managed postoperative problematic behaviors of the three patients with dementia and the one patient postoperatively demonstrating an agitated behavior.
Keywords: agitation – auricular acupuncture – delirium – dementia
For reprints and all correspondence: Young-Chang P. Arai, Multidisciplinary Pain Centre, Aichi Medical University, School of Medicine, 21 Karimata, Nagakutecho, Aichigun, Aichi 480-1195, Japan. Tel: +81-561-62-3311; Fax: +81-561-62-5004; E-mail: arainon{at}aichi-med-u.ac.jp
Received May 7, 2009; accepted October 2, 2009