Effect of magnetic beads auricular point sticking therapy on intrapartum fever in primipara with epidural labor analgesia

Abstract

To observe effect of magnetic beads auricular point sticking therapy on intrapartum fever in primipara with epidural labor analgesia and explore its possible mechanism. A total of 160 primipara were randomly divided into an observation group (80 cases, 12 cases dropped off ) and a control group (80 cases, 15 cases dropped off ). The primipara in the control group received epidural labor analgesia. In the observation group, 15 min after epidural labor analgesia was performed, magnetic beads auricular point sticking therapy was given at shenmen (TF4), neishengzhiqi (TF2), neifenmi (CO18) and jiaogan (AH6a), pressing and kneading once every 15 min, 1 min each time, until the end of first stage of labor. The tympanic temperature on Ta (before labor analgesia), Tb (2 h after labor analgesia), Tc (4 h after labor analgesia) and Td (1 h after labor) was recorded, and the intrapartum fever incidence and level of serum cortisol and IL-6 between two groups were compared. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score before and after labor analgesia, the pressing times of patient controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA), and the dosage of sufentanil were observed. The active labor period, the second stage of labor, and the time of analgesia, the use of oxytocin, the number of vaginal examination and the rate of cesarean section were recorded in the two groups. There was no significant difference in tympanic temperature in the observation group at each time point (P>0.05), the tympanic temperature at Tc and Td in the control group was higher than that at Ta (P<0.05); the tympanic temperature at Tc and Td in the observation group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). The levels of serum cortisol and IL-6 at Td in the two groups were higher than those at Ta (P<0.05), and those in the observation group were lower than the control group (P<0.05). The second stage of labor in the observation group was shorter than that in the control group (P<0.05), and the pressing times of PCEA, the dosage of sufentanil, intrapartum fever incidence, usage rate and total amount of oxytocin and the number of vaginal examinations were all lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). Magnetic beads auricular point sticking therapy can reduce the amount of anesthetics, decrease the effect of epidural analgesia on primipara's body temperature regulation and labor progress, and lower the incidence of fever during labor analgesia by regulating the level of inflammatory response in the primipara.