Abstract

Nausea, and to a lesser extend vomiting, remain significant clinical problems after the administration of chemotherapy, with up to 60% of patients reporting nausea despite use of antiemetics. Combining antiemetics with other non-pharmacological treatments may prove more effective in decreasing nausea than antiemetics alone. Hence, the aim of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using acupressure in Pericardium 6 (Neiguan) acu-point in managing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. This was a randomised controlled trial. Acupressure was applied using wristbands (Sea-Band) which patients in the experimental group had to wear for the 5 days following the chemotherapy administration. Assessments of nausea, retching and vomiting were obtained from all patients daily for 5 days. Thirty-six patients completed the study from two centres in the UK, with 19 patients allocated to the control arm and 17 to the experimental arm. It was found that nausea and retching experience, and nausea, vomiting and retching occurrence and distress were all significantly lower in the experimental group compared to the control group (P<0.05). The only exception was with the vomiting experience, which was close to significance (P=0.06). Results highlight the important role of safe and convenient non-pharmacological complementary therapies, such as acupressure, in the management of the complex symptoms of chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting.

Conference Title

Society for Acupuncture Research 2010 International Conference. Translational Research in Acupuncture: Bridging Science, Practice & Community, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA

Conference Country

United States of America

Conference Date

March 19, 2010 - March 19, 2010

Conference Sponsor

Nursing Association in Seden----