TEAS improves safety of endoscopy for elderly patients

TEAS improves safety of endoscopy for elderly patients

Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) can significantly reduce the incidence of hypoxia and the need for emergency airway interventions in elderly patients undergoing endoscopy, according to Chinese investigators. A total of elderly 218 patients undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopy were randomly assigned to either a TEAS group or a sham control group. The TEAS group received electrical stimulation at bilateral Zusanli ST-36, from 30 minutes before the start of the procedure until its conclusion, while the control group had electrodes placed at non-acupoints without electrical stimulation. The results showed that the TEAS group had a significantly lower incidence of hypoxia compared to the control group (8.3% vs 19.3%). Although the reduction in severe hypoxia was not statistically significant (2.8% vs 7.3%), the TEAS group demonstrated a marked decrease in the need for emergency airway assistance. This included fewer cases requiring increased oxygen flow (6.4% vs. 16.5%), jaw thrust (3.7% vs. 11.0%) and mask-assisted ventilation (1.8% vs. 5.5%).

Pain and fatigue assessed by visual analogue scores were found to be significantly lower in the TEAS group compared with controls. The TEAS group also demonstrated a significantly lower propofol maintenance dose compared to group control, reduced patient procedure times and shorter awakening times compared with the control group. (Effects of Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation on the Incidence of Hypoxia in Elderly Patients Undergoing Painless Gastrointestinal Endoscopy: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Pain Res Manag. 2024 Dec 22:2024:1251246).

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39734602/