Nausea and vomiting are the most common side effects of antineoplastic chemotherapy. However, only a small number of studies have been conducted in Taiwan to determine the efficacy of acupressure in treating these side effects in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. In this quasi-experimental study, we aimed to explore the effects of acupressure on meridian energy as well as nausea and vomiting in 70 lung cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Patients were assigned to the experimental or control group based on order of hospital admission. The experimental group received acupressure on “Neiguan (PC6)” and “Gongsun (SP4)” points, and the control group received sham acupoint patches on “Houxi (SI3)” point. The results showed that the mean meridian energy in the experimental group after acupressure was significantly higher than in the control group (F = 28.71, p < .001). The experimental group had significantly less nausea (p < .001) and vomiting (p = .006) during the delayed phase than the control group. In conclusion, acupressure significantly increased the mean meridian energy and effectively decreased the severity of nausea and vomiting in lung cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. We recommend that clinical nurses provide acupressure as an intervention to relieve nausea and vomiting in patients receiving chemotherapy.
BaschE.PrestrudA. A.HeskethP. J.KrisM. G.SomerfieldM. R.LymanG. H. (2012). Antiemetic use in oncology: Updated guideline recommendations from ASCO. American Society of Clinical Oncology Educational Book, 2012, 532–540. doi:10.14694/EdBook_AM.2012.32.532
2.
ChaoM. L.ChenL. J. (2010). Effects of acupressure at relieving constipation in persistent vegetative state: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, 12, 11–20.
3.
ChenJ. H.ChaoY. H.LuS. F.ShiungT. F.ChaoY. F. (2012). The effectiveness of valerian acupressure on the sleep of ICU patients: A randomized clinical trial. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 49, 913–920. doi:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2012.02.012
4.
ChuangS. W.LianY. H.FangJ. L. (2014). Acupressure can alleviate chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV)—Evidence and clinical application. VGH Nursing, 31, 34–42. doi:10.6142/vghn.31.1.34
5.
DibbleS. L.LuceJ.CooperB. A.IsraelJ.CohenM.NusseyB.RugoH. (2007). Acupressure for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: A randomized clinical trial. Oncology Nursing Forum, 34, 813–820. doi:10.1188/07.ONF.xxx-xxx
6.
EttingerD. S.AkerleyW.BorghaeiH.ChangA. C.CheneyR. T.ChirieacL. R.…HughesM. (2013). Non-small cell lung cancer, version 2.2013. Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, 11, 645–653.
7.
EttingerD. S.ArmstrongD. K.BarbourS.BergerM. J.BiermanP. J.BradburyB.…UrbaS. G. (2012). Antiemesis. Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, 10, 456–485.
8.
EzzoJ.RichardsonM. A.VickersA.AllenC.DibbleS.IssellB. F.…ManheimerE. (2014). WITHDRAWN: Acupuncture-point stimulation for chemotherapy-induced nausea or vomiting. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 11, CD002285. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD002285.pub3
9.
FarrellC.BrearleyS. G.PillingM.MolassiotisA. (2013). The impact of chemotherapy-related nausea on patients’ nutritional status, psychological distress and quality of life. Supportive Care in Cancer, 21, 59–66. doi:10.1007/s00520-012-1493-9
10.
GencF.TanM. (2015). The effect of acupressure application on chemotherapy-induced nausea, vomiting, and anxiety in patients with breast cancer. Palliative and Supportive Care, 13, 275–284. doi:10.1017/s1478951514000248
11.
HerrstedtJ. (2008). Antiemetics: An update and the MASCC guidelines applied in clinical practice. Nature Clinical Practice Oncology, 5, 32–43. doi:10.1038/ncponc1021
12.
HeskethP. J. (2008). Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. New England Journal of Medicine, 358, 2482–2494. doi:10.1056/NEJMra0706547
13.
JuY. I.LeeH. S.TengC. L.LiuS. L.ChenH. Y.TsaiC. I.ChenH. Y. (2012). The efficacy of compression on two acupuncture points in relieving nausea and vomiting among breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. VGH Nursing, 29, 277–285. doi:10.6142/vghn.29.3.277
14.
LeeL. J.LiaoH. S.JhangS. H.TuC. M.DuJ. C.LianH. R. (2010). Acupuncture treatment of 50 cases of postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction experience. Journal of Modern Traditional Chinese Medicine, 36, 4753–4754.
15.
LeeY. S. (2006). Analysis on the change of ryodoraku values by time, age, or acupuncture, moxibustion, and ice stimulation on the Zusanli acupoints. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Medical University of China, Taichung City, Taiwan.
16.
LiG. (2008). Illustrations of acupressure nursing. Taipei City, Taiwan: Hanyu International Culture.
17.
LinJ. G. (2009). Newly edited color book of acupuncture and moxibustion. Taipei City, Taiwan: Jyin.
MorrowG. R. (1984). Methodology in behavioral and psychosocial cancer research. The assessment of nausea and vomiting. Past problems, current issues and suggestions for future research. Cancer, 53, 2267–2280.
20.
MorrowG. R. (1992). A patient report measure for the quantification of chemotherapy induced nausea and emesis: Psychometric properties of the Morrow Assessment of Nausea and Emesis (MANE). British Journal of Cancer Supplement, 19, S72–S74.
21.
PolitD. F.BeckC. T. (2012). Nursing research: Generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice (9th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
22.
RaoK. V.FasoA. (2012). Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: Optimizing prevention and management. American Health & Drug Benefits, 5, 232–240.
23.
ShinY. H.KimT. I.ShinM. S.JuonH. S. (2004). Effect of acupressure on nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy cycle for Korean postoperative stomach cancer patients. Cancer Nursing, 27, 267–274.
24.
SimaL.WangX. (2009). Therapeutic effect of acupuncture on cisplatin-induced nausea and vomiting. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu, 29, 3–6.
25.
TaspinarA.SirinA. (2010). Effect of acupressure on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in gynecologic cancer patients in Turkey. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 14, 49–54. doi:10.1016/j.ejon.2009.07.006
26.
WangD. R.YinG. Y.WangT.SheY. C.JiZ. P.ChenJ. W.HeS. L. (2007). Introduction to modern Chinese medical physiology. Taipei City, Taiwan: Jyin.
27.
WuS. D.GauJ. T.WangY. H. (2011). Ryodoraku as a tool monitoring the effects of walking exercise. Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Xue Bao, 9, 1319–1325.
28.
XieJ. H.ZouY. B.LeeW. Y. (2012). Application of Gongsun. Journal of Bee, 9, 38–39.
29.
YangD. W. (2009). Diagrams and illustrations of human body meridians. Taipei City, Taiwan: The Way.
30.
ZhouL.HuH.LiQ. W. (2006). [Clinical observations of effects of applying acupuncture to Gongsun and Neiguan on chemotherapy-related vomiting.]. Shandong Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 25, 392–393.
