Ear acupressure to reduce anxiety and pain during elective heart surgery
Ear Acupressure for Reducing Anxiety and Pain During Heart Surgery
This will try using ear acupressure (NADA protocol) in adults having elective heart surgery to see if it reduces preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 66 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University Hospital Tuebingen Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Stuttgart) |
| Trial ID | NCT07010003 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
The intervention uses ear acupressure following the NADA protocol applied to adult patients undergoing elective heart surgery at Robert Bosch Krankenhaus. Trained practitioners will deliver the acupressure before surgery as a non-pharmacological complement to standard care. Patients who are under 18, undergoing urgent/emergency surgery, unable or unwilling to consent, or who received acupuncture in the prior three months are excluded. Outcomes will focus on measures of preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain, and may include medication use and short-term recovery indicators.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults scheduled for elective heart surgery at Robert Bosch Krankenhaus who can give informed consent and have not had acupuncture in the past three months.
Not a fit: Patients under 18, those needing urgent or emergency surgery, those unable or unwilling to consent, or those who recently received acupuncture are not eligible and are unlikely to benefit from this protocol.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could experience less preoperative anxiety and reduced postoperative pain, potentially improving comfort and lowering use of sedatives or analgesics.
How similar studies have performed: Several prior studies report that preoperative acupuncture or acupressure can reduce anxiety, pain, and nausea in various surgeries, although ear-only NADA applications for open-heart procedures are less thoroughly studied.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * All adult patients who are capable of giving consent or willing to do so and who are undergoing elective heart surgery at the Robert Bosch Krankenhaus study center are included. Exclusion Criteria: * Under 18 years old * Emergency or urgent surgery * Patients who are incapable of giving consent or unwilling to do so * Patients who have received acupuncture treatment (including NADA ear acupuncture or acupressure) in the last three months
Where this trial is running
Stuttgart
- Robert Bosch Krankenhaus — Stuttgart, Germany (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Nora Göbel, Dr. med. — Robert Bosch Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Nora Göbel, Priv.-Doz. Dr. med.
- Email: nora.goebel@rbk.de
- Phone: +49 711 8101 3650
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.