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Acupressure bands do not improve chemotherapy‐induced nausea control in pediatric patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy: A single‐blinded, randomized controlled trial
Author(s) -
Dupuis L. Lee,
Kelly Kara M.,
Krischer Jeffrey P.,
Langevin AnneMarie,
Tamura Roy N.,
Xu Ping,
Chen Lu,
Kolb E. Anders,
Ullrich Nicole J.,
Sahler Olle Jane Z.,
Hendershot Eleanor,
Stratton Ann,
Sung Lillian,
McLean Thomas W.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/cncr.31198
Subject(s) - nausea , acupressure , medicine , vomiting , chemotherapy , antiemetic , anesthesia , chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting , randomized controlled trial , alternative medicine , pathology
BACKGROUND Chemotherapy‐induced nausea and vomiting remain common, distressing side effects of chemotherapy. It has been reported that acupressure prevents chemotherapy‐induced nausea in adults, but it has not been well studied in children. METHODS In this multicenter, prospective, randomized, single‐blind, sham‐controlled trial, the authors compared acute‐phase nausea severity in patients ages 4 to 18 years who were receiving highly emetic chemotherapy using standard antiemetic agents combined with acupressure wrist bands, the most common type of acupressure, versus sham bands. Patients wore acupressure or sham bands continuously on each day of chemotherapy and for up to 7 days afterward. Chemotherapy‐induced nausea severity in the delayed phase and chemotherapy‐induced vomiting control in the acute and delayed phases also were compared. RESULTS Of the 187 patients randomized, 165 contributed nausea severity assessments during the acute phase. Acupressure bands did not reduce the severity of chemotherapy‐induced nausea in the acute phase (odds ratio [OR], 1.33; 95% confidence limits, 0.89‐2.00, in which an OR <1.00 favored acupressure) or in the delayed phase (OR, 1.23; 95% CL, 0.75‐2.01). Furthermore, acupressure bands did not improve daily vomiting control during the acute phase (OR, 1.57; 95% CL, 0.95‐2.59) or the delayed phase (OR, 0.84; 95% CL, 0.45‐1.58). No serious adverse events were reported. CONCLUSIONS Acupressure bands were safe but did not improve chemotherapy‐induced nausea or vomiting in pediatric patients who were receiving highly emetic chemotherapy. Cancer 2018;124:1188‐96. © 2017 American Cancer Society .