The effect of acupressure application on chemotherapy-induced nausea, vomiting, and anxiety in patients with breast cancer.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of acupressure applied to the pericardium 6 (P6 or neiguan) acupuncture point on chemotherapy-induced nausea, vomiting, and anxiety in patients with breast cancer.


METHODS
The study was conducted using a quasi-experimental model with a control group. It included a total of 64 patients with stages 1-3 breast cancer who received cycle two and more advanced chemotherapy in an ambulatory chemotherapy unit. There were 32 patients in the experimental group and 32 patients in the control group. Acupressure was applied to the P6 acupuncture point of patients in the experimental group with the help of a wristband. A Patient Information Form, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the Index of Nausea, Vomiting and Retching were employed to collect the data.


RESULTS
It was determined that the mean nausea, vomiting, and retching scores, the total (experience, occurrence, and distress) scores, and the mean anxiety scores for patients to whom acupressure was applied at the P6 acupuncture point were statistically significantly lower compared with the scores of patients in the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
The efficacy of applying acupressure was demonstrated. We determined that applying acupressure at the P6 point is effective in decreasing chemotherapy-induced nausea, vomiting, and anxiety in patients with breast cancer. Further research with more subjects is needed.
Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences,Giresun University,Piraziz, Giresun,Turkey.
Fatma
F
Genç
Department of Medical Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences,Atatürk University,Erzurum,Turkey.
Mehtap
M
Tan
D019050:Acupressure / Q000379:methods*; D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000209:etiology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
Vomiting