The relationship of chemotherapy-induced nausea to the frequency of pericardium 6 digital acupressure.
OBJECTIVE
To explain the relationship between the intensity of chemotherapy-induced nausea (CIN) and the frequency of pericardium 6 (P6) digital acupressure.


METHODS
Secondary data analysis of a multicenter, longitudinal, randomized, clinical trial.


METHODS
Nine community clinical oncology programs and six independent sites in the United States.


METHODS
53 patients with breast cancer who received moderate to highly emetogenic chemotherapy and applied P6 digital acupressure in addition to antiemetics to control CIN.


METHODS
A daily log measuring nausea intensity and the frequency of acupressure for 11 days after the administration of chemotherapy. Hierarchical generalized linear modeling procedure (multilevel negative binomial regression) was used for analyzing the data.


METHODS
Nausea intensity and acupressure frequency.


RESULTS
Participants used acupressure an average of two times per day (SD = 1.84, range 0-10). Women who used acupressure more frequently after the peak of nausea (on day 4) were predicted to have a 0.97-point higher nausea intensity in the acute phase than women who used acupressure less frequently, controlling for the effects of other variables in the model (incidence rate ratio = 1.52, p < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with breast cancer whose nausea intensity started higher from the acute phase continued to experience higher symptom intensity during the 11 days after chemotherapy administration and required more frequent acupressure even after the peak of nausea.


CONCLUSIONS
Careful assessment and management of acute CIN with continuous monitoring and care of CIN in the delayed phase are important nursing issues in caring for patients receiving chemotherapy.
School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, USA.
Jiyeon
J
Lee
Suzanne
S
Dibble
Marylin
M
Dodd
Donald
D
Abrams
Beverly
B
Burns
D019050:Acupressure / Q000379:methods*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000932:Antiemetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000451:nursing; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000628:therapy*; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000379:methods; D010496:Pericardium
D000932:Antiemetics; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents