Effect of Percutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation on the Improvement of Incidence of Adverse Respiratory Events

Summary

The goal of this study is to investigate the effect of combined acupoint electrical stimulation at Taiyuan (LU9) and Hegu (LI4) on improving the incidence of respiratory adverse events after extubation in patients during the recovery period from general anesthesia.

The main content of this study involves selecting patients who have undergone general anesthesia and are admitted to the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), with an expected 236 participants. The researchers will randomly assign participants to either the TEAS group or the control group using a random number table. In the TEAS group, electrodes will be applied to the upper limbs at the Taiyuan and Hegu acupoints, without intravenous infusion, and connected to a stimulation device. The stimulation will use a frequency of 2/100 Hz with sparse-dense waves, and the intensity will be adjusted to the maximum current that the patient can tolerate, starting at the time of extubation and continuing for 30 minutes. The control group will receive routine care. Throughout the process, no invasive procedures will be performed.

In the PACU, the participants will:

Be positioned in a 30° head-up tilt position, with continuous ECG monitoring. The SpO2 alarm on the monitor will be set to 95%.

The same anesthesiologist will perform extubation according to the extubation criteria.

After extubation, participants will receive routine oxygen therapy via a nasal cannula at 3L/min with a CO2 end-expiratory monitoring module attached to the other end of the cannula. Simultaneously, the TEAS group will undergo transcutaneous electrical stimulation for 30 minutes, or the control group will receive routine care.

Participants will be observed in the PACU for at least 30 minutes. If no adverse events occur and the Steward score is ≥4, the patient will be deemed ready for discharge and escorted back to the ward. If there is any significant change in the patient's condition, they will be transferred to the ICU .

If any respiratory-related adverse events occur, measures such as awakening the patient, supporting the jaw, increasing oxygen flow, or administering mask oxygen will be taken to ensure patient safety, and these events will be recorded in the "PACU Postoperative General Anesthesia Patient Condition Observation and Nursing Record."

Conditions

• Extubation
• Respiratory Depression
• Acupuncture Points
• Hypoxia

Interventions

OTHER

Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation

In this study, the traditional acupoints Taiyuan (LU9) on the lung meridian and Hegu (LI4) on the large intestine meridian were selected. The lung and large intestine meridians are interconnected, so the combined application of Taiyuan and Hegu acupoints with TEAS can produce a synergistic effect. This combination enhances the replenishment of lung qi, promotes the flow of meridians, regulates qi, and disseminates lung functions. It can stimulate effective breathing in patients, thus positively influencing the improvement of their oxygen saturation levels.

OTHER

Conventional care plan

Conventional care plan

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• xiaoliang wang · The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

100 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-01-25

Primary Completion

2025-11-20

Completion

2025-12-25

Countries

• China

Study Locations