Acupuncture in Preventing Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting: Efficacy of Two Acupuncture Points Versus a Single One

Background Despite recent advances in anesthesiology and surgical care, postoperative nausea and vomiting are common complaints with surgical patients. Currently, acupuncture techniques are receiving attention in anesthesiology. However, the ideal technique and selection of the most appropriate acupuncture points are still under debate. Aims This study aimed to compare the efficacy of two simultaneous acupuncture points with a single point in the prevention and treatment of postoperative nausea and vomiting following general anesthesia. Methods In a double-blind randomized controlled trial, 227 surgical patients undergoing general anesthesia in Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran, Iran, between June 2011 and June 2012 were randomly assigned to two groups. The first group received acupuncture by stimulation only at PC6 (the single group) and the second group underwent concomitant stimulation of the PC6 and L14 acupuncture points (the combined group) during the surgery under general anesthesia. The prevalence of postoperative nausea and vomiting was then compared between the two groups as the primary study outcome. Results There was no significant difference between the two groups for primary characteristics (p > 0.05). Of the 115 patients in the combined group, 80 patients (69.6%) complained of nausea and vomiting compared with 96 patients (85.7%) in the single group, which represented a significantly lower proportion (p < 0.05). Conclusion Our findings are in favor of a combination of PC6 and LI4 stimulation for treatment of postoperative nausea and vomiting.