Preventive effect of transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation on emergence agitation after general anesthesia in pediatric patients undergoing tonsillectomy: A randomized clinical trial.

If your child is scheduled for a tonsillectomy, you may already be thinking about what happens after surgery. One common challenge for children waking up from general anesthesia is something called emergence agitation — a state of confusion, crying, and distress that can be frightening for both kids and parents. A new clinical study published in the journal Medicine explored whether a gentle, non-invasive therapy called transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation (TEAS) could help prevent this problem.

TEAS works by delivering mild electrical pulses to specific acupuncture points on the skin — in this study, points called Hegu (on the hand) and Neiguan (on the wrist) — without using needles. Researchers enrolled 97 children undergoing tonsillectomy and randomly divided them into two groups: one received TEAS during surgery, and the other did not.

The results were encouraging. Children who received TEAS were significantly less likely to experience emergence agitation when waking up from anesthesia. They also had better oxygen levels in the brain, lower stress hormone levels (including cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline), and more stable heart rate and blood pressure during surgery. On top of that, their parents reported higher satisfaction with their child's recovery experience. Importantly, there were no significant differences in side effects between the two groups, suggesting TEAS is safe in this setting.

Researchers believe TEAS may work by improving blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain while calming the body's stress response during the surgical procedure.

This study adds to a growing body of evidence that acupuncture-based therapies can play a meaningful supportive role alongside conventional medical care. If you are interested in exploring acupuncture or TEAS as part of your child's surgical preparation or recovery, speak with a qualified, licensed acupuncturist experienced in pediatric care.

This prospective randomized controlled trial (n=97 pediatric patients) investigated the effect of transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation (TEAS) at Hegu (LI4) and Neiguan (PC6) on emergence agitation (EA) following tonsillectomy under general anesthesia. Conducted January–May 2025 and published in Medicine, the trial compared intraoperative TEAS against a no-stimulation control group. The TEAS group demonstrated statistically significant reductions in EA incidence, pediatric anesthesia emergence delirium (PAED) scores, intraoperative remifentanil consumption, and stress biomarkers (β-endorphin, norepinephrine, epinephrine, and cortisol). Cerebral oxygen saturation was significantly elevated in the TEAS group, and post-intubation mean arterial pressure and heart rate were better controlled. No between-group differences in adverse events were observed. Clinical takeaway: Perioperative TEAS at LI4 and PC6 represents a safe, adjunctive intervention that may meaningfully reduce EA incidence and opioid requirements in pediatric tonsillectomy patients, likely via enhanced cerebral oxygenation and attenuation of the neuroendocrine stress response.