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The effect of press-needle therapy on postoperative nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing bronchoscopy under
Kunying Li1, Taomei Lian2, Jiaozhen Lou3
1Henan Provincial Chest Hospital, Respiratory Endoscopy Center, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
Background:
General anesthesia is commonly used in bronchoscopy, but postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) remain common and lack well-established prophylactic interventions.
Objectives:
To evaluate the efficacy of press-needle therapy in preventing PONV in patients undergoing bronchoscopy under general anesthesia in China.
Methods:
In this prospective quasi-experimental study, 216 patients scheduled for elective bronchoscopy under general anesthesia at Henan Provincial Chest Hospital were consecutively enrolled between September 2022 and December 2024. Participants were assigned by enrollment time to a press-needle group (PC6, LI4, ST36, applied 30 min pre-anesthesia and retained for 48 h) or a control group (standard care). Primary outcomes were nausea/vomiting rates and severity at four intervals (0-6 to 24-48 h post-op). Secondary outcomes were rescue antiemetic use and vital signs at baseline, immediately post-procedure, 6 and 24 h.
Results:
Generalized estimating equation analysis demonstrated that both groups experienced a significant reduction in the rates of nausea and vomiting over time (both P < 0.001). The press-needle group had significantly lower rates of nausea (OR = 0.417, 95% CI: 0.193-0.900, P = 0.026) and vomiting (OR = 0.355, 95% CI: 0.137-0.919, P = 0.033) than the control group. Furthermore, the press-needle group had significantly fewer patients experiencing mild, moderate, or severe nausea and vomiting (P < 0.001) than the control group. The overall use of rescue antiemetics was also significantly lower in the press-needle group [7 cases (6.48%) vs. 22 cases (20.37%), P = 0.004] than that in the control group. With respect to vital signs, systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly higher in the press-needle group immediately after the procedure (P < 0.001), but no significant differences were observed at 6 or 24 h postoperatively (P > 0.05).
Conclusion:
Press-needle therapy effectively reduces the rates and severity of PONV following bronchoscopy under general anesthesia, decreases the need for rescue antiemetic medication, and demonstrates a minimal impact on vital signs, suggesting its potential as a valuable adjunctive clinical intervention.