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The Effectiveness of Acupuncture for Complications in Critically Ill Patients

Not Applicable
Conditions
Arrhythmia
Feeding Intolerance
Agitation
Delirium
Pain, Acute
Interventions
Other: pess tack acupuncture
Other: pess tack placebo
Registration Number
NCT04950738
Lead Sponsor
China Medical University Hospital
Brief Summary

Introduction:

Intensive care unit (ICU) is a special department in the health care facility. Although with high development of modern medicine nowadays, the average mortality rate in ICU is still around 7 to 20 %. There are a few tricky problems that intensivists and ICU nurses faced very often, including ICU delirium, arrhythmia and poor digestion problem that will all affect the mortality and morbidity rate of critical care patients.

Methods: A randomized control trial will examine the effect of press tack acupuncture vs. press tack placebos. The patients will be randomly divided (1:1) into one of two groups. A total of 80 ICU patients will have to meet the following criteria: age 20-90, newly ICU admission(\<48 hours), APACHE score \<30, one or no inotropic medicine use, FiO2\< 60%. Three interventions will be given in each group. The main outcomes will be the incidence of arrhythmia, delirium, and poor digestion and the severity of pain. We will also record ICU mortality, ICU stays and hospital days.

Detailed Description

Introduction:

Intensive care unit (ICU) is a special department in the health care facility. Although with high development of modern medicine nowadays, the average mortality rate in ICU is still around 7 to 20 %. There are a few tricky problems that intensivists and ICU nurses faced very often, including ICU delirium, arrhythmia and poor digestion problem that will all affect the mortality and morbidity rate of critical care patients.

Methods: A randomized control trial will examine the effect of press tack acupuncture vs. press tack placebos. The patients will be randomly divided (1:1) into one of two groups. A total of 80 ICU patients will have to meet the following criteria: age 20-90, newly ICU admission(\<48 hours), APACHE score \<30, one or no inotropic medicine use, FiO2\< 60%. Three interventions will be given in each group. The main outcomes will be the incidence of arrhythmia, delirium, and poor digestion and the severity of pain. We will also record ICU mortality, ICU stays and hospital days.

Expected outcome: The study finding will help to determine the therapeutic effect of acupuncture for ICU complications.

Other information: This study will be conducted in the ICU departments of China medical hospital and Asia University Hospital, Taichung city, Taiwan. The study is conducted on stable ICU patients and we don't anticipate any serious risk for adverse events following the intervention.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
UNKNOWN
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
80
Inclusion Criteria
  • Age 20--90

    • newly ICU admission (<48 hours)
    • APACHE score <30
    • Less than 3 inotropic medicine use
    • Fi02< 60%.
Exclusion Criteria
  • • Coagulopathy: Prolong Prothrombin Time (PPT) activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (aPTT) more than 4 times

    • Thrombocytopenia - low platelet count
    • Clinically unstable: receiving two or more inotropic agents or Fraction of Inspired Oxygen (Fi02) >60%
    • Primary central nervous system disorder: stroke, traumatic brain injury, central nervous system infections, brain tumors, recent intracranial surgery
    • Already under other traditional medicine intervention during hospitalization
    • Skin damage of more than 20% of the body skin.

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Acupuncture with press tack needle group (Acu)pess tack acupuncturePatients in acupuncture group will receive traditional Chinese acupuncture using Press Tack Needle (PYONEX 0.20 x l.5mm made by Seirin Corporation). The following acupoints will be used: HT 7 (Shen Men), PC 6 (Nei Guan), LU 9 (Tai yuan), LI 4 (He Gu), SP 3 (Tai Bai,) ST 44 (Nei ting), LIV 3 (Tai Chong). The treatment will use bilateral acupuncture Interventions will be given on day 1, 3, and 5 after patient's enrolment.
Placebo group press tack placebo (Con)pess tack placeboPatients randomized to the control group will receive a press lack placebo (made by Seirin Corporation), which looks identical to press tack needles but, with no needle element. The point selection will be identical to the acupuncture group: HT 7 (Shen Men), PC 6 (Nei Guan), LU 9 (Tai yuan), L1 4 (He Gu), SP 3; (Tat Bai), ST 44 (Ne1 tmg), LIV 3 (Tat Chong). Interventions will be given on days 1, 3, and 5 after the patient's enrolment.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
arrhythmiaat the patient's ICU discharge, on average 1 week

incidence of arrhythmia

deliriumat the patient's ICU discharge, on average 1 week

4 or more points according to the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist (ICDSC)(0-8 scale, score of less than 4 points indicate no delirium, 4 or more indicate delirium) and a Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) score of: +l, +2, +3, +4 - 1, -2 (score meanings +1 - 4 = levels of agitation, -1-4= levels of sudation, 0 = normal mental state.

feeding intoloranceat the patient's ICU discharge, on average 1 week

measured by days to reach the target Energy Fxpenditure

pain in the intensive care unit (ICU)at the patient's ICU discharge, on average 1 week

For pain the Numeric Rating scale will be applied in patients that are able to express their self. As well as the Behavioral pain scale. The Critical Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT) 0-8, will also be filled by the doctor and nurses along with the dose of fentanyl, hydromorphone methadone, morphine, and remifentanil and other analgesic medications.

dose of arrhythmia drugsat the patient's ICU discharge, on average 1 week

the dose of Adenosine, calcium channel blockers, or beta-blocking agents or other arrhythmia drugs

.

dose of use of prokinetic drugsat the patient's ICU discharge, on average 1 week

does of metoclopramide, Erythromycin or other prokinetic drugs

analgesic medication useat the patient's ICU discharge, on average 1 week

dose of fentanyl, hydromorphone methadone, morphine, and remifentanil and other analgesic medications.

delirium drug useat the patient's ICU discharge, on average 1 week

addition to drug use (a daily dose of sedative drugs, muscle relaxant, or atypical antipsychotics IV Haloperidol Benzodiazepines, Precedex, Propofol and oral Quediapine)

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
diarrheaat the patient's ICU discharge, on average 1 week

in microliters

the use of Parental nutritionat the patient's ICU discharge, on average 1 week

patients who cannot digest with daily NG tube: drainage: more than 500ml per day or severe diarrhea more the 1000 ml per day

the need for a post-pyloric tubeat the patient's ICU discharge, on average 1 week

patients who cannot digest with daily NG tube and by doctor decision

vomitusat the patient's ICU discharge, on average 1 week

in microliters

Intravenous (IV) injected albuminat the patient's ICU discharge, on average 1 week

IV injected albumin in grams

heart rateday 1,3,5,7

number of beats per minute

blood pressureday 1,3,5,7

systolic and diastolic blood pressure in mm Hg

SpO2 oxygen saturationday 1,3,5,7

Sp02 oxygen saturation levels

Respiratory rateday 1,3,5,7

measured by number of breath in one minute

mean arterial pressureday 1,3,5,7

average pressure in a patient's arteries during one cardiac cycle

Body temperatureat the patient's ICU discharge, on average 1 week

number of days of body temperature over 38 °C

constipation daysat the patient's ICU discharge, on average 1 week

3 days without stool discharge

gastrointestinal (GI) bleedingat the patient's ICU discharge, on average 1 week

in number of times

albumin blood levelsat the patient's ICU discharge, on average 1 week

serum albumin blood levels

ventilator dataday 1,3,5,7

ventilator data

Overall Satisfaction of patient familyat the patient Hospital discharge, on average 1 month

Overall Satisfaction of patient family will be measured by the European Family Satisfaction with Care in the Intensive Care Unit (EURO FS-ICU).

mechanical ventilation days daysat the patient Hospital discharge, on average 1 month

number of days under mechanical ventilation

ICU stayat the patient's ICU discharge, on average 1 week

number of admission days to the ICU

hospital daysat the patient Hospital discharge, on average 1 month

number of admission days to the hospital

ICU mortalityat the patient's ICU discharge, on average 1 week

number of patients died in the ICU

Hospital mortalityat the patient Hospital discharge, on average 1 month

number of patients died in the hospital

cost of hospital admissionat the patient Hospital discharge, on average 1 month

cost of hospital admission in New Taiwan Dollars {TWD)

cost of ICU admissionat the patient's ICU discharge, on average 1 week

cost of ICU admission in New Taiwan Dollars {TWD).

acupuncturist blindingafter intervention on day 5

blinding questioner will ask the acupuncturist to which group he/she guessed he/she applied the intervention

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