Acupoint Stimulation for Enhanced Recovery After Colon Surgery: A Prospective Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial

Figures & data

Table 1 Criteria for Discharge

	Content
Criteria 1	Normal body temperature, normal mobilization (off-bed mobilization >6h in 24 h), normal oral diet (oral intake of liquid diet >1000mLin 24h), normal gastrointestinal function (flatus and defecation)
Criteria 2	Pain could be controlled with oral analgesics
Criteria 3	No discomfort complaint, no parenteral nutrition

Table 2 Demographic and Surgical Characteristics of the Patients

	TEAS (n=47)	Control (n=47)	P value
Age, years	56.2±9.0	55.6±9.9	0.75
Gender (male/female), n	26/21	23/24	0.54
BMI (kg/m^2)	22.5±2.6	22.8±2.8	0.63
ASA (I/II/III)	0/45/2	1/43/3	0.68
NRS 2002 score	2(0, 5)	2(0, 4)	0.62
Type of surgery (left/right/sigmoid)	6/18/23	5/18/24	0.95
Duration of surgery, min	163.7±49.2	160.1±50.3	0.73
Duration of anaesthesia, min	200.2±48.6	199.2±52.3	0.92
Fluid input, mL	1930.9±459.9	1996.8±529.3	0.52
Crystalloid, mL	1462.8±428.8	1437.2±543.2	0.80
Colloid, mL	446.8±214.5	553.2±238.5	0.05
Output, mL	434.8±273.5	430.0±236.0	0.93
Blood loss, mL	72.8±135.9	62.9±44.0	0.65
Use of vasoactive agents, n (%)	12 (25.5)	13 (27.7)	0.82

Note: Data are presented as mean±SD, n or median (min, max).

Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; ASA, American Society of Anaesthesiologists; NRS, nutritional risk screening.

Figure 1 Trial profile.

Table 3 Recovery Parameters of the Patients

	TEAS (n=47)	Control (n=47)	P value	Difference, 95% CI
Time to discharge, d	6.0±1.8^a	7.0±2.4	0.02	−0.98(−1.82,-0.14)
Time to flatus, h	34.5±16.7^a	42.4±22.9	0.03	−7.90(−12.35,-3.66)
Time to first defecation, h	42.0±25.0^a	55.4±29.7	0.03	−13.42(−23.62, −6.80)
Time to first oral intake of water, h	33.5±22.3	28.9±17.5	0.28	/
PONV, n (%)
24 h after surgery	30(63.83)	22(46.81)	0.17	/
48h after surgery	10(21.28)	9(19.15)	0.76	/
72h after surgery	8(17.02)	4(8.7)	0.23	/
VAS at rest/at cough, median (min, max)
24 h after surgery	2.2(0.0, 10.0)/5.8(0.4, 10.0)	1.2(0.0–8.1)/ 5.5(1.4–10.0)	0.41/0.94	/
48h after surgery	1.2(0.0, 6.7)/ 5.0(0.3, 10.0)	1.6(0.0–6.0)/ 5(0.7, 10.0)	0.80/0.98	/
72h after surgery	0.6(0.0, 5.0)/ 3.5(0.1, 10.0)	1.0(0.0, 6.2)/ 4.0(0.3, 10.0)	0.05/0.33	/
PCA attempts/deliveries, median (min, max)
24 h after surgery	8.0(3.0, 18.0)/5.0.0(2.0, 12.0)	16.5(8.0, 38.0)/12(6, 22.0)	0.001/0.001	/
48h after surgery	13.0(5.0, 22.0)/7.0(3.0, 14.0)	26.0(11.5, 45.5)/16.5(8.0, 35.0)	0.002/0.001	/
72h after surgery	13.0(5.0, 24.0)/7.0(3.0, 20.0)	24.5(13.0, 46.0)/16.5(10.0, 36.0)	0.002/0.003	/
QoR −15 score, median (min, max)
24 h after surgery	54.5(15.0, 92.0)	59.0(27.0, 136.0)	0.01	/
48h after surgery	59.0(35.0, 104.0)	62.0(0.0, 130.0)	0.35	/
72h after surgery	67.0(31.0, 113.0)	67.0(11.0, 136.0)	0.75	/
VSS score, median (min, max)
24 h after surgery	69.0(0.0, 100.0)	60.0(0.0, 96.0)	0.29	/
48h after surgery	44.5(0.0, 96.0)	52.5(1.0, 89.0)	0.27	/
72h after surgery	30.5(2.0, 82.0)	40.5(1.0, 93.0)	0.48	/
RCSQ score, median (min, max)
24 h after surgery	61.4(18.7, 100.0)	57.0(19.0, 85.0)	0.26	/
48h after surgery	38.5(6.3, 91.0)	45.0(12.9, 85.1)	0.39	/
72h after surgery	34.0(5.0, 81.6)	39.9(8.0, 77.4)	0.44	/
Major complications, n (%)	0(0)	0(0)	1.00	/
Post-surgery expense, CNY	62962±28,001	84,218±115,027	0.21	/

Note: Data are presented as mean±SD, n (%) or mean (min, max).

Abbreviations: PONV, postoperative nausea and vomiting; VAS, visual analogue scale; PCA, patient-controlled analgesia; QoR, quality of recovery; VSS, visual sleeping scale; RCSQ, Richard–Campbell Sleep Questionnaire; CNY, Chinese Yuan.

Figure 2 Kaplan–Meier estimation of incidence of meeting discharge criteria.