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Acupressure wristbands do not prevent postoperative nausea and vomiting after urological endoscopic surgery

From the Department of Anaesthesiology & Critical Care Medicine, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India.

Address correspondence to: Dr Anil Agarwal, Type IV / 48, SGPGIMS Campus, Lucknow, 226 014, India. Phone: 091-0522-440004-8, Ext. 2473(0), 2474(R); Fax: 091-0522-440017, 440047, 440078; E-mail: aagarwal{at}sgpgi.ac.in

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of acupressure wristbands in the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV).

Methods: Two hundred ASA I - II patients undergoing elective endoscopic urological procedures were included in a randomized, prospective, double blind, placebo-controlled study. Spherical beads of acupressure wristbands were placed at the P6 points in the anterior surface of both forearms in Group 1 patients (acupressure group, n=100) whereas, in Group 2 (control group, n=100) they were placed inappropriately on the posterior surface. The acupressure wristbands were applied 30 min before induction of anesthesia and were removed six hours postoperatively. Anesthesia was induced with thiopental and maintained with nitrous oxide and oxygen, fentanyl, isoflurane and vecuronium. The tracheas were extubated on the operation table after patients received neostigmine and atropine. Post operative nausea and vomiting were evaluated separately as none, mild, moderate or severe at the time of patient's arrival in PACU, then at six hours and twenty-four hours after surgery by a blinded observer.

Results: In the acupressure group, 25 patients had PONV compared with 29 patients in the control group (P = NS).

Conclusion: Application of acupressure wristbands at the P6 of both forearms 30 min before induction of anesthesia did not decrease the incidence of PONV in patients undergoing endoscopic urological procedures.

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