OA07.01
Purpose: Perioperative symptoms such as pain and anxiety are common and often sub-optimally treated. Therefore we conducted a pragmatic trial to evaluate whether complementary and alternative (CAM) treatments can improve such symptoms in the perioperative setting.
Methods: Patients 18 years old and above that were referred to CAM consultations by the surgery department's medical staff were allocated to standard of care (SOC group) or CAM treatments on top of standard of care (CAM group). Treatment allocation was determined according to patient preference and practitioner availability. Patients in the CAM group received 15–30 minute treatments of acupuncture, reflexology, or guided imagery. The primary outcome variable was change from baseline in visual analogue scale scores (0–10) for pain and anxiety. Patients and practitioners were also asked to report any side effect they attributed to the CAM treatment.
Results: A total of 1127 patients were enrolled between June 2010 and September 2012. 916 patients were assigned to the CAM group with 1214 CAM treatments provided, and 211 patients were assigned to the SOC group. Patient socio-demographic characteristics were similar in both groups. Primary outcome measures were significantly improved in the CAM group compared to the SOC group with a mean difference for pain −2.17±2.4 vs −0.29±2 (P<0.0001); and anxiety −2.23±2.76 vs −0.03±2.54 (P<0.0001). Certain CAM treatments showed more effectiveness than others for specific symptoms. No significant adverse events occurred in the CAM group.
Conclusion: CAM treatments in addition to standard of care provide short-term relief from common perioperative symptoms. Larger studies with longer follow-up are needed to confirm these benefits.
Contact: Elad Schiff, elad.schiff@b-zion.org.il
