Effect of ginger and P6 acupressure on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: a randomized controlled study

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the effect of ginger with P6 acupressure in preventing and treating chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in cancer patients. Method: A total of 172 participants were randomly divided into the control, ginger, acupressure, and joint groups, who were hospitalized in the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from February and September 2022. The baseline characteristics, nausea, vomiting, and retching, benefit finding, functional living index-emesis, treatment satisfaction, and adverse reaction, were used in data collection. Results: No significant difference was found in benefit finding and adverse reactions among the four groups (P > 0.05). Ginger significantly improved delayed CINV and function living index-nausea (P < 0.05) but had no significant effect on acute CINV, retching, and delayed vomiting, functional living index-emesis, and treatment satisfaction (P>0.05). Acute nausea and retching, delayed nausea, vomiting, and retching, functional living index-emesis, and treatment satisfaction were effectively improved in the acupressure and joint groups (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Ginger with P6 acupressure may contribute to improving CINV in patients undergoing chemotherapy.