SEPTEMBER 11, 2024
Data published in Pain Management Nursing indicate that incorporating auricular acupressure into standard-of-care treatments for opioid tapering could reduce the time neonatal and infant children need in order to be weaned off the drugs.
“The use of auricular acupressure or acupuncture has been feasibly implemented in the opioid tapers for adult, pediatric and neonatal populations. Integration of complementary treatment [like auricular acupressure] within the standard of care should be
Data published in Pain Management Nursing indicate that incorporating auricular acupressure into standard-of-care treatments for opioid tapering could reduce the time neonatal and infant children need in order to be weaned off the drugs.
“The use of auricular acupressure or acupuncture has been feasibly implemented in the opioid tapers for adult, pediatric and neonatal populations. Integration of complementary treatment [like auricular acupressure] within the standard of care should be considered to provide optimal patient care,” study author Heather J. Jackson, PhD, APRN, an associate professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, in Nashville, Tenn., told Pain Medicine News.
A total of 40 postsurgical infants (34 weeks’ gestation to 1 year of age) with exposure to opioids and/or benzodiazepine medications for five days or more, beginning a stable wean, were recruited and randomized equally into standard-of-care or intervention groups (Pain Manag Nurs 2024 Aug 26. doi:10.1016/j.pmn.2024.07.010).
Weaning phases from opioids were significantly shorter in the acupressure group (median, 6.0 vs. 22.0, respectively; P=0.025; d=0.90). Acupressure was accepted by parents, with an overall 96.2% rating their experience as positive measured by the Parent Client Satisfaction Questionnaire. The majority of healthcare providers (n=19) were supportive, with 71.9% agreeing or completely agreeing acupressure is an acceptable adjunct for the treatment of withdrawal symptoms. No serious adverse events were reported among the participants; however, there was one report of skin irritation.
Despite noting the small nature of this pilot study as a limitation, Jackson reiterated that the results have been replicated in adult, pediatric and neonatal populations. “Future studies should conduct randomized control trials with higher sample sizes to assess the effect of acupuncture or acupressure on pain and symptoms of opioid withdrawal [in diverse neonatal and infant patients],” she concluded.
—Myles Starr
Jackson reported no relevant financial disclosures.
