Riassunto dello studio

Forty patients with severe knee dysfunction undergoing total knee arthroplasty were randomized to receive either conventional nursing care (n=20) or conventional nursing combined with transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS; n=20). The primary outcome of interest was the incidence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD). Secondary outcomes included Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores and levels of inflammatory markers (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, S100β) in the blood. Outcomes were assessed preoperatively and on postoperative days 1, 3, and 7. Overall, the results of the study revealed that the incidence of POCD was significantly lower in the TEAS group compared to the control group. The findings suggest that TEAS, combined with conventional nursing, effectively reduces POCD by mitigating the inflammatory response and neuronal injury.