TEAS Combined With Triple Antiemetic Drugs to Prevent PONV in High-Risk Patients
Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation Combined With Triple Antiemetic Drugs for Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in High-Risk Patients: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial
Zhejiang University
780 participants
Jan 16, 2026
INTERVENTIONAL
Conditions
Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effects of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) combined with triple antiemetics for postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in high-risk patients. The primary question it seeks to answer is: Does TEAS combined with triple antiemetics further reduce the incidence of PONV in high-risk subjects? Researchers will compare active TEAS with sham stimulation to determine whether the addition of TEAS to dexamethasone, palonosetron, and droperidol lowers the PONV rate beyond that achieved by the triple-drug prophylaxis alone.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria4
- Women scheduled for laparoscopic surgery ；
- Aged 18-65 years；
- ASA Class I-III；
- Apfel score ≥ 3 (female sex, non-smoker, history of PONV and/or motion sickness).
Exclusion Criteria15
- Patients with a history of allergy to the investigational drug or contraindications；
- Long-QT syndrome ；
- Pregnancy, lactation, or menstruation ；
- Current smoker；
- Nausea/vomiting or use of antiemetics, opioids, or systemic corticosteroids within 24 h before surgery；
- Requirement for post-operative sedation and mechanical ventilation ；
- Severe renal or hepatic impairment ；
- Psychiatric or neurological disorder ；
- Vertebrobasilar insufficiency；
- Vestibular disease；
- Language or communication barrier ；
- Skin lesion or infection at the acupoint stimulation site ；
- Upper-limb nerve injury ；
- Implanted cardiac pacemaker or defibrillator ；
- Participation in another clinical trial within the past 4 weeks.
Interventions
Using the Huatuo brand electronic acupuncture therapy device (Model: SDZ-Ⅲ, produced by Suzhou Medical Equipment Co., Ltd., China), bilateral upper limb acupoints P6+L14 were selected. Approximately 30 minutes before anesthesia induction, the electrodes were connected with the initial current set at 1 milliampere and frequency at 2/100 Hz. The current intensity was gradually increased until the patient felt pain or reached the discomfort threshold (ranging between 6 to 10 mA), and the stimulation was maintained until the patient was discharged from the PACU.
The same protocol was applied for percutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation, initiated before anesthesia induction with the minimum perceptible current (MPC) and terminated after 1 minute.
Dexamethasone 5mg and palonosetron 0.25mg i.v. will be given after induction, and droperidol 1.25 mg i.v. will be given during the abdominal closure.
Locations(1)
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NCT07480785