Effect of Auriculotherapy on nausea and vomiting in women following elective cesarean section

Introduction and Objectives: Nausea and vomiting are common complications during and after spinal anesthesia. Antiemetic drugs reduce vomiting, but they have some potential side effects. Auriculotherapy may be useful as a complementary medicine to reduce Nausea and vomiting. So, this study was performed with aim to evaluate the effects of auriculotherapy on Nausea and vomiting in patients after cesarean section Materials & Methods: This single-blind randomized clinical trial study was performed on 60 pregnant women who referred to Mashhad Omolbanin hospital for caesarean section in 2016. The research units were selected via random allocation and classified into two groups of intervention and placebo. In the intervention group, 30 min prior to spinal anesthesia, auriculotherapy (in shenmen, subcortex, kidney and abdominal points) was performed for 20-30 seconds by electrodermal stimulation and auricular seeds fixed on this points. In the placebo group, labels without seeds were attached to unrelated points. The incidence and severity of nausea and vomiting were assessed before the intervention, during the surgery, at recovery room and two hours after the surgery, using visual analog scale. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software and statistical tests Results: There were no significant differences between two groups in terms of demographic characteristics and Nausea and vomiting before the intervention (P> 0.05). No significant difference was observed between two groups in incidence and severity of nausea and vomiting the surgery, at recovery room and two hours after the surgery (P> 0.05).Conclusion: The use of auriculotherapy has no effect on reducing nausea and vomiting during and after cesarean; therefore, it is recommended to perform further studies.

Keywords:

nausea and vomiting , Auriculotherapy , Complementary medicine , Cesarean