Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness and safety of auricular acupressure in reducing the incidence of adverse reactions(ADRs) during the bowel preparation. METHODS: This was a prospective, assessor-blinded, randomized controlled clinical trial implemented at Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine. Between October 2022 and February 2023, 190 hospitalized patients undergoing colonoscopy were randomly assigned to the intervention and control groups in a 1:1 ratio. The intervention group received auricular acupressure during bowel preparation, whereas the control group received no additional treatment. Analyses were conducted using the intention-to-treat method. Intervention effects were evaluated by comparing outcomes between the two groups. RESULTS: The overall incidence of ADRs to bowel preparation in the intervention group (37/95 = 37.89 %) was lower than that in the control group (59/95 = 62.11 %, P < 0.05). Compared with control group, the incidence of nausea in the intervention group decreased by 15.79 %(95%CI 0.03-0.19, P = 0.018), whereas no significant difference was observed in the incidence of abdominal distension(P > 0.05). Regarding the comparison of the severity of the ADRs, the overall score of ADRs and the scores for nausea and abdominal distension in the intervention group were statistically lower than those in the control group (all P < 0.05). No auricular acupressure-related adverse effect was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Auricular acupressure can significantly decrease the incidence of ADRs to colonoscopic bowel preparation in patients and alleviate the severity of nausea and bloating symptoms, which is a safe, simple, and effective method. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR, no. ChiCTR2200061742; Registered July 2, 2022. URL: https://www.chictr.org.cn/showprojEN.html?proj=167796.