Acupoint Stimulation Mitigates Postop Nausea Better Than Does Metoclopramide

Background: Nonpharmacologic management of postoperative symptoms is an area of growing clinical interest, and there are many opportunities to examine the role of novel therapies. Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) following general anesthesia is a prevalent and persistent condition ideally suited for both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions. Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) has been developed and proven effective prophylactic intervention in early studies. Objective: To examine the role of TEAS in patients experiencing moderate to severe PONV following general anesthesia. Design: Patient-blinded and observer-blinded randomized trial. Participants: Female patients aged 25 to 55 years underwent thyroidectomy or anterior spinal fusion. Those reporting moderate to severe PONV were eligible for inclusion. Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to TEAS versus pharmacologic intervention. Sham device and IV metoclopramide were used in the non-TEAS p more...