ACUPRESSURE FOR PREVENTION OF POSTOPERATIVE NAUSEA AND VOMITING

Dr. Sheetal Gaikwad; Dr. Vaishali Bapat

Volume : VI, Issue : III, March - 2016

ACUPRESSURE FOR PREVENTION OF POSTOPERATIVE NAUSEA AND VOMITING

Dr. Sheetal Gaikwad, Dr. Vaishali Bapat

Abstract :

Post–operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a common complication after surgery under general anaesthesia. Several types of antiemetics are in use, but drug therapy is only partially effective in preventing PONV. There is a growing interest in the use of acupressure as a non–pharmaceutical method in preventing PONV. The aim of this double blind randomized study was to find out if acupressure could supplement the routine prophylactic treatment of PONV in our hospital. We studied hundred female patients undergoing abdominal surgeries under general anaesthesia for incidence of PONV. The control group (n=50) received ondansetron while the acupressure group (n=50) received acupressure (wristbands) in addition to ondansetron for preventing PONV. The incidence of nausea was significantly reduced (4%) in group A as compared to 24% in group C. Only one patient in group C had vomiting. None of the patients had any side effect of acupressure bands. Thus we conclude that acupressure wristband can be used as an adjuvant to ondansetron for preventing PONV.