The influence of guided imagery on chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting

The purpose of this study was to determine if the addition of guided imagery to a standard antiemetic regimen decreased nausea, vomiting, and retching occurrence and distress in patients receiving cisplatin-based chemotherapy. A convenience sample of patients (N = 28) was selected from an oncologist's patient population and randomized into two groups. Both groups received the same standard antiemetic regimen, while the experimental group additionally used a chemotherapy-specific guided-imagery audiotape. The Rhodes Index of Nausea and Vomiting Form 2 was used to measure the nausea and vomiting experience. Findings revealed no statistically significant difference in this measurement between the two groups when measured at five different times during chemotherapy administration. The Chemotherapy Experience Survey was used to evaluate the participants' overall perceptions of the chemotherapy experience. The guided-imagery group expressed a significantly more positive experience (p = 0.0001) with chemotherapy. These findings have definite implications for developing effective nursing interventions to promote patient involvement in self-care practices and to increase patient coping abilities during symptom occurrence.