High frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in the immediate postoperative period of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and its effects on drug costs during hospitalization

Abstract

Introduction. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is an important structure for knee stability. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is an electrical current that significantly reduces pain. Objective. To assess drug costs associated with high frequency TENS in the immediate postoperative period of ACL reconstruction. Methods. A single-blind randomized clinical trial with 46 patients randomly assigned to a control group (CG = 23) and a TENS group (TG = 23). Individual and total drug costs were assessed in both intervention groups. The TENS intervention protocol started in the recovery room shortly after surgery, being maintained uninterruptedly for the first 48 hours after surgery. The parameters used were pulse width of 100 μs, frequency of 120 Hz, and intensity according to the patient’s tolerance. Results. The average cost of drugs was US $ 3.12 in the TG and US $ 9.12 in the CG (p = 0.0001). Tramadol accounted for the biggest difference in costs: US $ 4.34 ± 1.36 in the CG and US $ 0.81 ± 0.95 in the TG (p = 0.0001). The total cost of drugs was US $ 13.48 in the TG and US $ 39.62 in the CG (p = 0.0001). Conclusions. The treatment with high frequency TENS application was three times less expensive regarding drug costs, which makes it a promising resource for postoperative analgesia. Using this technique minimizes drug side effects and reduces costs for health systems.