Acupuncture in the relief of respiratory arrest

Abstract

The claim the acupuncture point Jen Chung can be use to stimulate respiration was tested in five anaesthetised sheep, to determine if acupuncture was more effective than a more general nociceptive stimulus in reversing respiratory arrest. Needling this point proved significantly more effective (P < 0.05) than needling the tibial nerve in stimulating breathing after respiratory arrest due to halothane. This technique may provide a useful method of reversing respiratory arrest under clinical conditions.