[Using Acupressure to Improve Abdominal Bloating in a Hemicolectomy Patient: A Nursing Experience]

This article describes a nursing experience applying the protocol of bilateral Zusanli (ST-36) acupressure to reduce abdominal bloating in a colon cancer patient who had undergone a right hemicolectomy. The period of care was between November 13 and November 23, 2014. Data were collected through direct care, interviews, observation, and physical assessment. The main health problems of the patient included anxiety, surgical wound pain, and abdominal bloating. We provided pre- and postoperative routine nursing care, wound pain management, and the protocol of Zusanli (ST-36) acupressure for reducing abdominal bloating. Results of care recorded the first passage of flatus and intestinal motility during the second postoperative day, with no complaints of bloating from the fourth postoperative day. The subject exhibited a relaxed mood and slept soundly following each acupressure session. Furthermore, the subject reported experiencing no abdominal bloating during the week following discharge, during which he continued to follow the acupressure protocol. This article provides support via an instance of nursing care for the effectiveness of the Zusanli (ST-36) acupressure in improving abdominal bloating and thus reducing the complications of hemicolectomy surgery.