Acupuncture for Tonsillectomy Pain
Completed · Not applicable · Has a placebo group
Conditions studied: Children, Postoperative Pain, Tonsillar Hypertrophy, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Chronic Tonsillitis
In brief
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.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT01389349
- Run by
- Children's ENT of San Diego, Inc.
- People needed
- 130
- Starts
- 2011-07-01
- Expected to finish
- 2012-05-01
- Last updated by the study team
- 2012-05-18
Who can join
Age: 2 and older, up to 17. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.
You may qualify if…
- Children 2 to 17 years of age who need tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy with or without myringotomy tube(s)
You may not qualify if…
- Developmental Delay
Where it is running
- Children's Specialty Clinic — El Centro, California, United States
- Rady Children's Hospital San Diego — San Diego, California, United States
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
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