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Completed

NCT Number: NCT02707705

Preoperative Auricular Acupuncture in Elective Cesarean Section.

Preoperative anxiety before cesarean section is common and may be severe. Stress consequences are often deleterious for the mother and for the upcoming newborn. Means to reduce anxiety before cesarean section are limited. Anxiolytic drugs are avoided in the context of the birth of a newborn. Auricular acupuncture has been shown to relieve anxiety disorders. The aim of this study is to evaluate the anxiolytic effect of auricular acupuncture administered before an elective cesarean section. Anxiety will be measured at T0: inclusion (approximately 1-2 hours before cesarean section) and T1: departure to surgical unit (approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour after T0). Patches (needle or needle-free) will be set up at T0 just after the initial anxiety assessment (anxiety Visual Analog Scale aVAS).

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Key information

Conditions

Anxiety Reduction, Elective Cesarean Section

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

Female

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Hôpital de la Croix Rousse

Lyon, 69317, France

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • All patients American Society of Anaesthesiologists 1or 2 targeted for elective cesarean section under spinal anesthesia
  • Aged over 18 years
  • Affiliation to social security
  • Participation Consent signed after oral and written information

Exclusion criteria

  • Guardianship
  • Psychological disorders preventing informed consent
  • Long-term antidepressant or anxiolytic
  • Previous history of auricular acupuncture
  • Refusal of participation in the study
  • Cesarean section for placenta accreta
  • Presence of a pacemaker

Treatment and study plan

Apply an auricular acupuncture protocol by stimulating specific points of the ear with needles inserted on adhesive tape (Pyonex®).

Device

Intervention Description :

The auricular acupuncture protocol is based on an anxiolytic triad of three points selected according to the World Health Organization classification. These points are detected and located precisely by a differential detector starting with the right ear, and in the absence of response, the points are searched on the left ear. The detected points are treated by application of adhesive tape with needles of diameter 0.2 mm and length 0.9 mm.

Data collected :

  • T0 : anxiety VAS, pain VAS, APAIS, ANI, arterial pressure and cardiac frequency
  • T1 : anxiety VAS, pain VAS, APAIS, ANI, arterial pressure, cardiac frequency and side effects
  • T2 : anxiety VAS, pain VAS, arterial pressure, cardiac frequency and side effects
  • T3 : anxiety VAS, pain VAS, arterial pressure, cardiac frequency and side effects

Apply a device having no real effect

Device

The three points of the protocol are detected and located precisely by a differential detector starting with the right ear, and in the absence of response, the points are searched on the left ear.The detected points are treated by application of adhesive tape without needle.

Data collected :

  • T0 : anxiety VAS, pain VAS, APAIS, ANI, arterial pressure and cardiac frequency
  • T1 : anxiety VAS, pain VAS, APAIS, ANI, arterial pressure, cardiac frequency and side effects
  • T2 : anxiety VAS, pain VAS, arterial pressure, cardiac frequency and side effects
  • T3 : anxiety VAS, pain VAS, arterial pressure, cardiac frequency and side effects

Disinfection

Procedure

The ear is disinfected by applying Chlorhexidine®.

Primary outcomes

  1. Comparison of anxiety variation between group A (Auricular acupuncture, needle patch) and group P (needle-free patch) via visual analog scale.

    Time frame: measured at the inclusion (T0) and 30min/1h after inclusion (T1).

    Degree of reduction in anxiety VAS score between T0 and T1 and comparison between group A and group P. Anxiety will be assessed using a Visual Analogue Scale scoring between 0 (complete absence of anxiety) and 100 (greatest possible level of anxiety).

Secondary outcomes

  1. Potential placebo effect of auricular acupuncture by measuring Anxiety variation between the 3 groups.

    Time frame: measured at the inclusion (T0), 30min/1h after inclusion (T1), 1h/2h after inclusion (incision T2) and 3h/4h after inclusion (back in post-operative surveillance room T3).

    Variation of anxiety VAS between T0 and T1 between the 3 groups (needle patch, needle-free patch and no intervention.

    Comparing the percentage of patients relieved by auricular acupuncture between the 3 groups (decrease of anxiety VAS score of at least 20%).

  2. To evaluate anxiolytic effect of auricular acupuncture on anxiety measured by Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS).

    Time frame: measured at the inclusion (T0) and 30min/1h after inclusion (T1).

    Variation of APAIS between T0 and T1, comparison between the 3 groups. APAIS is a self-reported questionnaire comprising six questions.

  3. To evaluate the effect of auricular acupuncture on parasympathetic tone measured by Analgesia Nociception Index (ANI).

    Time frame: measured at the inclusion (T0) and 30min/1h after inclusion (T1).

    Variation of ANI between T0 and T1, comparison between the 3 groups. ANI is a 0 to 100 index derived from heart rate variability which provides a continuous measurement of the parasympathetic tone.

  4. Study of the correlation between ANI and anxiety VAS.

    Time frame: measured at the inclusion (T0) and 30min/1h after inclusion (T1).

    Variation of ANI between T0 and T1, comparison between the 3 groups, and correlation with anxiety VAS. ANI is a 0 to 100 index derived from heart rate variability which provides a continuous measurement of the parasympathetic tone.

  5. To evaluate the effect of auricular acupuncture on perioperative pain.

    Time frame: Measured at1h/2h after inclusion (incision T2) and 3h/4h after inclusion (back in post-operative surveillance room T3).

    VAS for pain is a self-reported measure varying from, 0 (no pain) to 100 (greatest possible level of pain). A comparison of VAS score will be made between the 3 groups.

  6. Report of potential adverse events of auricular acupuncture.

    Time frame: Measured at 30min/1h after inclusion (T1), 1h/2h after inclusion (incision T2) and 3h/4h after inclusion (back in post-operative surveillance room T3).

    collection of potential side effects.

  7. Correlation between APAIS and anxiety VAS.

    Time frame: Measured at the inclusion (T0) and 30min/1h after inclusion (T1).

    Variation of APAIS between T0 and T1, comparison between the 3 groups, and correlation with anxiety VAS. APAIS is a self-reported questionnaire comprising six questions.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Hospices Civils de Lyon

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Premedication With an Auricular Acupuncture Protocol in Elective Cesarean Section .

Acronym: CESAUR

Important dates

Study start
2016
Primary completion
2018
Study completion
2018
First posted
Mar 14, 2016
Registry last updated
Sep 18, 2025

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.