Acupuncture-assisted anaesthesia for catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation to reduce the consumption of morphine hydrochloride and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Patients often experience postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) because of the use of opioids for anaesthesia and analgesia during the procedure. Some clinical trials have demonstrated that acupuncture-assisted anaesthesia (AAA) reduces opioid consumption and prevents PONV. Although several studies have been conducted on AAA, its safety and efficacy in AF catheter ablation remain unclear due to small sample sizes and a paucity of methodologically rigorous designs. Therefore, this trial was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of AAA in reducing PONV and morphine hydrochloride consumption during catheter ablation.