Auricular Acupressure Adjunct Treatment for Opioid Tapering: A Randomized Pilot Feasibility Study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Critical Care Medicine
• Integrative Medicine
• Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Management

Background:

• Opioid medications are essential for critically ill infants but can cause withdrawal.
• Iatrogenic withdrawal syndrome (IWS) is a significant concern in neonatal intensive care units.
• Non-pharmacological interventions are needed to manage IWS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of an acupressure protocol for IWS in a pediatric cardiac intensive care unit.
• To evaluate the impact of acupressure on withdrawal symptom duration.
• To determine the acceptance of acupressure by parents and healthcare providers.

Main Methods:

• A randomized pilot feasibility trial was conducted.
• Acupressure stickers were applied to the ear every 1-3 days until symptoms improved.
• Parent and healthcare provider satisfaction and acceptance were measured.

Main Results:

• No serious adverse events occurred; only one case of skin irritation was reported.
• Weaning phases were significantly shorter in the acupressure group (6.0 vs 22.0 days).
• Parents reported high satisfaction (96.2%), and 71.9% of healthcare providers found acupressure acceptable.

Conclusions:

• Acupressure is a safe, feasible, and accepted adjunct treatment for iatrogenic withdrawal in pediatric cardiac ICUs.
• Findings support larger trials to optimize clinical management of infants dependent on sedative medications.