TITLE:
Stimulation of the P6 Acupuncture Point for Prophylaxis of Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnant Women Submitted to Cesarean Section: A Blinded Clinical Trial
AUTHORS:
Luiza Helena Castelo Branco, Luciana Cavalcante Lima, Maria Célia Ferreira Costa, Marilia Santos Lira, Raquel Queiroz Guerra de Andrade Coelho, Tania Cursino de Menezes Couceiro, Anne Danielle Soares, Eusa Maria Belarmino Alcoforado, Maria Emilia Carvalho
KEYWORDS:
Obstetric Surgery; Cesarean Section; Complications; Nausea; Vomiting; Prophylaxis; Acupuncture
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Anesthesiology,
Vol.3 No.3,
May
13,
2013
ABSTRACT: In pregnant women subjected to spinal
anesthesia for a Cesarean section, episodes of nausea and vomiting are common
both during and following surgery. Acupuncture for the prophylaxis and
treatment of these complications has been gaining in popularity due to its low
cost, simplicity, absence of side effects and confirmed efficacy. This study
investigated the efficacy
of stimulating the P6 acupoint in conjunction with the use of dexamethasone as
prophylaxis for nausea
and vomiting in pregnant women submitted to spinal anesthesia for a Cesarean
section. The patients (n = 100) were randomly distributed into two groups. In
the first group (n = 50), a site located one centimeter laterally from P6 was
stimulated. This is
not a true acupuncture point (sham acupuncture). In the second group (n = 50),
P6 was stimulated. In both groups, 4 mg of dexamethasone were administered
intravenously. A questionnaire was used to obtain information on the occurrence
of nausea and vomiting during surgery and in the first 12 hours postpartum. The
chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test were used to assess differences between
the groups. Age and physical status were similar in both groups. The incidence
of nausea during surgery was 32% (n = 16) in the control group and 22% (n = 11)
in the P6 group (p > 0.05). In the first
12 hours following surgery, nausea occurred in 16% of the women in the control
group (n = 6) and in 4% in the P6 group (n = 4) (p = 0.045). The
incidence of vomiting in the control group was 12% (n = 6) during surgery and 10% (n = 5) in the
postoperative period compared to 8% (n = 4) and 4% (n = 2), respectively, in
the P6 group (p > 0.05). Although these differences were not statistically
significant with the exception of the incidence of nausea in the first 12 hours
postpartum, a reduction occurred in the incidence of all the outcomes evaluated
in the P6 group.