Positive Health Online

Abstract

STREITBERGER and colleagues, Department of Anaesthesiology, Coordination Centre for Clinical Trials, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany, konrad_streitberger@med.uni-heidelberg.de, have conducted a trial of acupuncture versus placebo acupuncture in the prevention of post-operative nausea and vomiting.

Background

The aim of this study was to assess whether acupuncture at the point P6 is effective in preventing post-operative nausea and vomiting.

Methodology

The trial was randomized, placebo-controlled, patient and observer-blinded. 220 women scheduled for gynaecological or breast surgery were randomized to either treatment (n = 109) or placebo (n = 111) groups. Each group included two subgroups receiving acupuncture or placebo acupuncture either before or after induction of anaesthesia. Post-operative nausea and vomiting and antiemetic rescue medication were recorded for 24 hours.

Results

There were no significant differences in outcome between placebo and treatment groups except that vomiting was reduced in the treatment group (p = 0.03). Subgroup analysis showed no difference in outcome whether the treatment was applied before or after induction of anaesthesia.

Conclusion

According to this study, acupuncture to point P6 is only a mildly effective preventive treatment for post-operative vomiting and does not affect nausea.

References

Streitberger K, Diefenbacher M, Bauer A, Conradi R, Berdenheuer H, Martin E, Schneider A, Unnebrink K. Acupuncture compared to placebo-acupuncture for postoperative nausea and vomiting prophylaxis: a randomised placebo-controlled patient and observer blind trial. Anaesthesia 59 (2): 142-149, Feb 2004.