Can transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation prevent postoperative nausea and vomiting?

Yingying Liu; Zhen Chen; Zhiqiang Zhang; Qian Hu; Jiasheng Wang; Ruiyang Cao; Wenkai Liu; Lifeng Wang

doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2025.103294

Can transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation prevent postoperative nausea and vomiting?

Complement Ther Med. 2025 Dec:95:103294. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2025.103294. Epub 2025 Nov 4.

Authors

Yingying Liu¹, Zhen Chen², Zhiqiang Zhang², Qian Hu², Jiasheng Wang², Ruiyang Cao², Wenkai Liu², Lifeng Wang³

Affiliations

¹ The First Clinical Medical College of Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, China; Department of Anesthesiology, Ningbo No.6 Hosipital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.
² The First Clinical Medical College of Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, China.
³ The First Clinical Medical College of Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, China; Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, China; Ganzhou Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, China. Electronic address: wwwanglifeng@126.com.

PMID: 41197783
DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2025.103294

Abstract

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a common perioperative complication that can increase the incidence of complications such as aspiration, bleeding, incision dehiscence water-electrolyte disorders; prolong hospital stays; and increase medical costs. Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) is important for preventing perioperative PONV, and TEAS may reduce the incidence of PONV by activating the brain-gut axis and regulating autonomic nerve function, anti-inflammatory activity and other mechanisms; however, it is necessary to further promote standardized clinical application through mechanistic research, parameter optimization and high-quality clinical research.‌ This article discusses the risk factors for PONV, the possible mechanism of TEAS in the prevention of PONV and the clinical application of TEAS to provide some reference for the clinical application of TEAS in preventing PONV.

Keywords: Acupoint electrical stimulation; Anesthesia; Postoperative nausea; Postoperative vomiting; Transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Acupuncture Points*
Humans
Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting* / prevention & control
Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting* / therapy
Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation* / methods