The Effect of Acupressure on Nausea and Vomiting after Cesarean Section Under Spinal Anesthesia

Abstract

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is one of the most common postoperative complications. Aside from pharmacological interventions, other complementary healing modalities have been introduced to assist patients in decreasing PONV and improving postoperative outcomes. This study examined acupressure as a safe complement to the more traditional approach of using drugs to prevent and/or relieve nausea and vomiting in the Cesarean section (C/S) under spinal anesthesia. In a prospective randomized clinical trial, 152 patients who were candidate for elective C/S under spinal anesthesia were evaluated in two groups (acupressure vs control groups). Subjects in the acupressure group received constant pressure by a specific wrist elastic band (without puncture of the skin) on the Nei-Guan acupuncture point, 30 min prior to spinal anesthesia. The incidence of PONV was assessed during the surgery, at recovery room and at 1st, 2nd and 3rd two hours after the surgery. Significant differences in the incidence of the post-operative nausea and vomiting were found between the acupressure and control groups, with a reduction in the incidence rate of nausea from 35.5% to 13.2%. The amount of vomitus and the degree of discomfort were, respectively, less and lower in the study group. In view of the total absence of side-effects in acupressure, its application is worthy. Our study confirmed the effectiveness of acupressure in preventing post-operative nausea and vomiting, when applied 30 minutes prior to surgery.