Acupuncture for Tonsillectomy Pain

Pain after tonsillectomy can be severe and last ten days.

Various new surgical instruments have been developed over the years in an attempt to reduce postoperative pain with mixed results and increased costs; no single tonsillectomy technique is superior to the rest. Patients are discharged to home usually on the day of surgery and often suffer significant pain and nausea. Pain medication is often prescribed which can cause nausea, vomiting and constipation. Children in pain are reluctant to take in fluids and may require intravenous hydration at an emergency department.

"Battlefield acupuncture " has been recently developed by the US Air Force and is now being used in Iraq and Afghanistan on wounded warriors suffering severe acute pain from trauma. This protocol consists of five acupuncture points on the outer ear.

A recent study has demonstrated decreased pain and agitation in children undergoing ear tube insertion. Ear tube patients have mild discomfort compared to tonsillectomy patients and are able to attend school the next day.

The investigators have been encouraged by the benefits of acupuncture during surgery for ear tube patients and also wounded warriors recovering from their injuries. These findings motivated us to see if acupuncture during tonsillectomy surgery would result in less pain and nausea.

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Key information

Conditions

Children Apnea Chronic Tonsillitis Dyssomnias Nausea Nervous System Diseases Neurologic Manifestations Obstructive Sleep Apnea Pain Pain, Postoperative Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Postoperative Complications Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting Postoperative Pain Respiration Disorders Respiratory Tract Diseases Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms, Digestive Sleep Apnea Syndromes Sleep Apnea, Obstructive Sleep Disorders, Intrinsic Sleep Wake Disorders Tonsillar Hypertrophy Vomiting

Age range

2 year–17 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Children's Specialty Clinic, El Centro, California, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Children 2 to 17 years of age who need tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy with or without myringotomy tube(s)

Exclusion criteria

Developmental Delay

Treatment and study plan

Acupuncture

Other

Battlefield acupuncture protocol

Sham control

Other

Sham control acupuncture

Primary outcomes

Pain Response

Time frame: Postoperative days 1 and 6

Families will be contacted via telephone by a member of the study team other than Dr. Ochi on postoperative days 1 and 6. During these follow-up phone calls a member of the study team will review the daily diary with the parent and also inquire about oral intake, activity level, complications and any additional medical encounters.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Children's ENT of San Diego, Inc.

Other

Collaborators

Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego

Registry information

Important dates

Study start: 2011
Primary completion: 2012
Study completion: 2012
First posted: Jul 8, 2011
Registry last updated: May 18, 2012

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

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