The prophylactic effect of acupressure (P6) on the postoperative nausea and vomiting in patients underwent thyroidectomy

The effects of Korean hand acupressure on postoperative pain, nausea, vomiting, and retching after thyroidectomy: A randomized controlled study protocol

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study is to determine the effect of Korean hand acupressure applied after thyroidectomy on postoperative pain, nausea, vomiting, and retching of number and severity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The type of study is a randomized study with a post-test-control group. The protocol was prepared according to the SPIRIT (Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials) 2013 checklist. The CONSORT 2017 guideline was followed in reporting the protocol. The study was conducted with 42 patients (intervention/control group = 21) who underwent thyroidectomy in a hospital in Istanbul between February 2021 and June 2022, who met the inclusion criteria, and whose verbal and written informed consent was obtained. Korean hand acupressure was applied for 3 min using mung bean seeds 30 min before anesthesia was given to the patients in the intervention group. The application was continued every 2 h after the operation. The application was terminated at the eighth hour. The control group (patients) received routine post-operative treatment and care. Pain severity, nausea, vomiting, and retching number and severity, antiemetic use, and Rhodes nausea, vomiting, and retching index score at the end of the 24th hour were evaluated at the 2nd, 6th, and 24th hour postoperatively. Data analysis was done with the SPSS 25.0 program.

CONCLUSION

For the patients in the intervention and control groups, it was found that the number and severity of nausea and vomiting were highest in the 6th hour after surgery. The application of Korean hand acupressure was an effective nursing intervention on the retching state (number/severity) that developed at the 6th hour after thyroidectomy and reduced the use of antiemetics.

Effect of acupressure application on patients' nausea, vomiting, pain, and sleep quality after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: A randomized placebo-controlled study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Nausea, vomiting, pain and insomnia in the postoperative period may cause discomfort, and this may adversely affect the patient's compliance with the treatment. This study was conducted to determine the effect of acupressure on nausea, vomiting, pain, and sleep quality after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

METHODS

This was a randomized controlled experimental study with a placebo group. The sample comprised 188 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy (control:64;experimental:64;and placebo:60). Acupressure was performed on the experimental and placebo groups with a wristband for 24 hours. The data were collected at the 0th, 2nd, 6th, 12th, and 24th postoperative hours. Data were collected using the patient introduction form, numeric nausea scale, visual analog scale(VAS), verbal category scale(VCS), and Richards-campbell sleep questionnaire(RCSQ).

RESULT

The difference between the mean scores of nausea severity and the presence of nausea at the postoperative 0-2, 2-6, and 12-24 hours was statistically significant between the groups and the presence and the severity of nausea was lower in the experimental group (p<0.05). Although not statistically significant, less vomiting was observed in the experimental group patients compared to the control group patients at postoperative 0-2, 2-6, and 12-24 hours. There was no significant difference between the mean VAS and VCS scores of the groups at postoperative 2nd, 6th, and 24th hours (p >0.05). The mean RCSQ total scores of the patients in the experimental group were significantly higher (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

Acupressure applied to the PC6 point after laparoscopic cholecystectomy reduced postoperative nausea and vomiting and positively affected sleep quality.

Comparing Effects of Two Different Types of Nei-Guan Acupuncture Stimulation Devices in Reducing Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting

PURPOSE

To compare the effects of a relief band using transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation with a wrist band using acupressure on the Nei-Guan acupuncture point to relieve postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in patients who had undergone gynecologic surgery.

DESIGN

A double-blinded randomized controlled trial.

METHODS

In total, 54 patients scheduled for gynecologic surgery under general anesthesia were included in this study. Assessments of PONV were performed 0, 2, 6, and 24 hours after discharge from the postanesthesia care unit. The severity of PONV was measured using the Rhodes' Index of Nausea, Vomiting and Retching and by recording the frequency of patient-requested antiemetic administration that is used to treat severe cases of PONV.

FINDINGS

The relief band reduced the severity of PONV and the need for antiemetic administration within the first 24 hours postsurgery.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study support the use of a relief band when compared with a wrist band and with a control group to reduce PONV in women after gynecologic surgery.

Antiemetic efficacy of capsicum plaster on acupuncture points in patients undergoing thyroid operation

BACKGROUND

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) occurs in up to 63-84% of patients after thyroid surgery. This study aims to assess the effects of using a capsicum plaster to reduce PONV after thyroid surgery at either the Chinese acupuncture point (acupoint) Pericardium 6 (P6) or Korean hand acupuncture point K-D2.

METHODS

One-hundred eighty-four patients who underwent thyroid surgery were randomized in four groups (n = 46 each): control group = inactive tape at P6 acupoints and on both shoulders as a nonacupoint; P6 group = capsicum plaster at P6 points and inactive tape on both shoulders; K-D2 group = capsicum plaster at K-D2 acupoints and inactive tape on both shoulders; Sham group = capsicum plaster on both shoulders and inactive tape at P6 acupoints. The capsicum plaster was applied before the induction of anesthesia and removed at 8 hr after surgery.

RESULTS

The incidence and severity of nausea and vomiting and the need for rescue antiemetics were decreased in the patients in the P6 and K-D2 groups compared to the patients in the control and sham groups (P < 0.001). The patients in the P6 and K-D2 groups also reported that they were more satisfied (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that the capsicum plaster at the P6 and K-D2 acupoint was a promising antiemetic method for the patients undergoing thyroid surgery.

The efficacy of several neuromuscular monitoring modes at the P6 acupuncture point in preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting

BACKGROUND

In this study, we tested the efficacy of several neuromuscular monitoring modes at the P6 acupuncture point for preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV).

METHODS

In this prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 264 women undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy were evaluated for PONV. Neuromuscular blockade was monitored by acceleromyography with 1-Hz single twitch (ST) over the ulnar nerve (n = 54, control), and ST (n = 52), train-of-four (n = 53), double-burst stimulation (n = 53), or tetanus (n = 52) over the median nerve stimulating at the P6 acupuncture point.

RESULTS

The incidence of PONV (P = 0.022), the number of requests for patient-controlled analgesia (P = 0.009), and total patient-controlled analgesia volume (P = 0.042) 6 hours after tetanic stimulation were significantly reduced in the treatment group compared with the control group. Overall, patients in the tetanus group were more satisfied with the management of PONV compared with patients in the control group.

CONCLUSION

Tetanic stimulation applied to the P6 acupuncture point can reduce PONV after laparoscopic hysterectomy compared with ST stimulation of the ulnar nerve, resulting in a greater degree of patient satisfaction. None of the stimulations, ST, train-of-four, or double-burst, applied to the P6 acupuncture point significantly affected PONV.