Acupressure wrist bands to relieve nausea and vomiting in hospice patients: Do they work?

Abstract

This study assessed the effects of acupressure wrist bands on the nausea and vomiting ofterminally ill patients. Using a single subject experimental design, six hospice patients were exposed to three conditions:

• An acupressure wrist band;

• A placebo wrist band;

• A no wrist band condition.

Patients and their caregivers rated nausea and vomiting during the treatment. Despitesome difficultyobtaining complete data, the results of this preliminary test indicate that acupressure wrist bandswere not effective in reducing nausea and vomiting in this small sample of hospice patients.