Efficacy of Acupuncture for Prophylaxis of Intrathecal Morphine Induced Pruritis in Patients Undergoing Caesarean Delivery

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT01283477

Enrollment

Registered

2011-01-26

Start date

2010-10-31

Completion date

2011-06-30

Last updated

2012-03-27

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Acupuncture, Morphine Induced Pruritis

Keywords

Caesarean Delivery, Pruritis, Intrathecal Morphine, Acupuncture At LI11

Brief summary

Intrathecal morphine is commonly used for pain relief in caesarean delivery. Side effects such as itch (pruritis) and nausea & vomiting are common and have been shown to be the most common cause for dissatisfaction. The incidence of pruritis is 74% even with current available medications. Acupuncture has been shown to be effective for morphine related side effects but has not been evaluated for prophylaxis of itch in pregnant population. PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: Acupuncture at LI 11 reduces the incidence of pruritis after elective caesarean section under spinal with intrathecal morphine

Interventions

DEVICEACUPUNCTURE AT LI11

ACUPUNCTURE AT LI11 FOR 30 MINUTES PRIOR TO INTRATHECAL MORPHINE & LEFT IN PLACE FOR 30 MINUTES

DEVICESHAM ACUPUNCTURE

SHAM ACUPUNCTURE AT A POINT 2 CM LATERAL TO LI11 30 MINUTES PRIOR TO INTRATHECAL MORPHINE & LEFT IN PLACE FOR 30 MINUTES

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

DOUBLE (Subject, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

FEMALE

Age

18 Years to 50 Years

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

* ASA I & II patients undergoing elective caesarean delivery under spinal with intrathecal morphine

Exclusion criteria

* Patient refusal * ASA III & IV patients * Pre-existing pruritis * Eczema * Bleeding tendencies * Known allergy to any of medications used * Any contra indication to spinal anaesthesia

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Incidence of pruritis	First 24 hr post intrathecal morphine	To determine acupuncture at li 11 reduces the incidence of pruritis after elective caesarean delivery under spinal anaesthesia with intrathecal morphine

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Severity of pruritis	1, 4, 8, 24 hr post intrathecal morphine	To determine acupuncture reduces: 1. Severity of pruritis 2. Requirement of relief medications

Countries

Ireland

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026