COMBINED TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE AND WESTERN MEDICINE - RELIEVING EFFECTS OF CHINESE HERBS, EAR-ACUPUNCTURE AND EPIDURAL MORPHING ON POSTOPERATIVE PAIN IN LIVER-CANCER

In the evaluation of Chinese berbs (A), ear-acupuncture (B) and epidur al morphine (C) to relieve postoperative pain and abdominal distension , sixteen male patients with primary liver cancer were observed. This study was conducted by means of orthogonal experiment and double blind , randomized design. The patients received various treatments accordin g to the display of the orthogonal table L16(2)15 which corresponds to 2(3) factorial experiment design. C+ (morphine 2mg) was given before the peritoneum was sutured. A+ (orally administered) and B+ were given 24 hours after operation. 50-100mg of pethidine was given when the pa in intensity VAS (0-100) exceeded 50-70. The observation parameters in duded plasma leucine enkephalin (LEK), postoperative total dosage of n arcotics administered for 5 days, VAS for pain and pain reliever, abdo minal distension, urinary retention, constipation, etc. The results we re as follows: a. Patients who had received A (A+B+C+, A+B+C-, A+B-C-, A+B-C+); C (C+A+B+, C+A+B-, C+A-B+, C+A-B-), or B (B+A+C+, B+A+C-, BA-C+, B+ A- C-) produced better analgesic effects than those who had r eceived placebo. The A, B, and C reduced narcotics 650, 450 and 550 mg respectively when compared with placebo. The effects of A and C were of statistical significance (P<0.05), while AB, BC, and AC interaction s were not found; b. A and B minimized abdominal distension and urinar y retention, while C prolonged them. As compared with the placebo, A a nd B accelerated restoration of bowel peristalsis (P<0.05, ANOVA). Bot h A and B decreased it for 165 hours, while epidural morphine prolonge d it for 49 hours; and c. Considerable rise of LEK level induced by su rgical operation on the liver could be inhibited by C. It is suggested that the analgesic effects of C might be related to LEK system. A and B might be supplementary to C, in facilitating the restoration of bow el and urinary function, which might be related to the regulation mech anism.