TEAS at Neiguan P-6 effective for nausea and vomiting after mastectomy

TEAS at Neiguan P-6 effective for nausea and vomiting after mastectomy

Perioperative transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) at Neiguan P-6 in combination with dexamethasone is as effective as granisetron with dexamethasone for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) prevention in breast cancer surgery patients. A total of 198 mastectomy patients under general anaesthesia were assigned to three groups by  Chinese research team: Neiguan P-6 stimulation with dexamethasone (PD), granisetron with dexamethasone (GD), and dexamethasone alone (DM). The primary endpoint was the incidence of postoperative vomiting (POV) within 48 hours, while secondary outcomes included the need for rescue antiemetics, severity of POV, and adverse events. The incidence of POV in the PD group (9.1%) was comparable to the GD group (10.6%), but significantly lower than the DM group (28.8%). Postoperative nausea followed a similar trend, with lower incidence in the PD and GD groups compared to DM. The use of rescue antiemetics did not differ significantly between the groups. POV severity scores were higher in the GD group than the DM group, but similar to the PD group. Both the PD and GD groups achieved superior PONV prevention and higher patient satisfaction compared to dexamethasone alone. (Transcutaneous Pericardium 6 Acupoint Electrical Stimulation Provides Comparable Antiemetic Effect to Granisetron When Combined With Dexamethasone in Patients Undergoing Breast. J Surg Res. 2024 Nov:303:81-88).

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39303649/