Acupressure for nausea-vomiting and fatigue management in acute lymphoblastic leukemia children

Context: Chemotherapy induced nausea vomiting and fatigue are prevalent problems following chemotherapy and pharmacologic methods are moderately efficient in alleviating them. Acupressure is a substitute approach.

Aims: This paper sought to determine the effectiveness of acupressure application in relieving nausea vomiting and fatigue among children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in compression with a placebo treatment.

Settings and Design: In this single blind, randomized, placebo controlled clinical trial, 120 hospitalized school age children with ALL, randomly divided into experimental and placebo groups. Subjects rated the intensity of nausea and fatigue by visual analog scales.

Material and Methods: In the experimental group, finger acupressure on p6 and ST36 (true points) and in the placebo group on SI3 and LI12 (sham points) was applied. Symptoms of nausea and fatigue intensity immediately and an hour postintervention evaluated. Then variable of nausea vomiting and Fatigue was also measured 12 h postintervention by the instruments of Adapted Rhodes Index of Nausea and Vomiting for Pediatrics by Child and Fatigue Scale Child, Respectively.

Statistical Analysis Used: Data were analyzed by SPSS version 16.0. Results: Significant differences were observed between two groups based on the fatigue and nausea intensity immediately and an hour postintervention with confidence interval 95% and P < 0.001.

Conclusions: Applying one time acupressure may reduce the intensity of nausea immediately postintervention and fatigue and nausea at one hour post treatment. Hence, acupressure could be recommended as a helpful, nonpharmacologic method for some cancer related fatigue and chemotherapy induced nausea vomiting management.