Acupressure Versus Ondansetron Usage for Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting After Gynecologic Surgeries

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Integrative Medicine
• Surgical Nursing

Background:

• Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a common complication following gynecological surgery.
• Pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions are used to manage PONV.
• Acupressure, a non-invasive technique, involves applying pressure to specific acupoints, such as the PC6 point.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of PC6 acupressure with intravenous ondansetron in managing PONV after gynecological surgeries.
• To identify factors associated with early postoperative nausea scores.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, randomized, single-centered study involving 102 patients undergoing gynecological surgery under general anesthesia.
• Patients were randomized to receive either intravenous ondansetron (Group O) or PC6 acupressure bands (Group B).
• PONV and pain scores were assessed at multiple time points post-surgery; patients were also grouped by early nausea severity for factor analysis.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in overall postoperative pain, nausea, or vomiting scores was observed between the acupressure and ondansetron groups.
• Fifty percent of patients experienced moderate to high early postoperative nausea, with 10% requiring additional anti-emetic medication.
• Factors significantly associated with early PONV included motion sickness history, operation time, and early postoperative pain scores.

Conclusions:

• PC6 acupressure is a viable alternative to intravenous ondansetron for PONV management after gynecological procedures, offering similar efficacy.
• Neither intervention alone was sufficient to adequately control early PONV in 50% of patients.
• Identifying associated factors like operation time and pain is crucial for optimizing PONV prevention strategies.