OBJECTIVETo explore the prophylactic effect of acupuncture Neiguan (PC 6) on nausea and vomiting after laparoscopic operation.

METHODSOne hundred patients with laparoscopic gastrointestinal operation were randomly divided into an acupuncture group and a control group, 50 patients in each group. The operation was carried out with the combined infusion and inhalation anesthesia. The patients in the acupuncture group were being punctured at bilateral Neiguan (PC 6) before anesthesia and during the operation. The needles were extracted after operation, and the acupoints were covered with opaque tape. In contrast, the patients in the control group only accepted tape covering without acupuncture. After operation, all patients were given the self-controlled intravenous analgesia, and followed up at 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h for recording the incidence rate of the nausea, retching and vomiting, then scoring with VAS.

RESULTSAt 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h after operation, in the acupuncture group, the incidence rates of the nausea were 12.0%, 6.0%, 6.0% and 2.0%, and the incidence rates of the retching were 0, 0, 2.0% and 2.0%, respectively; in the control group, the incidence rates of the nausea were 28.0%, 20.0%, 12.0% and 2.0%, and the incidence rates of the retching were 2.0%, 6.0%, 2.0% and 0, respectively. At 6 h, 12 h after operation, the incidence rates of the nausea and retching in the acupuncture group were lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.001). The vomiting was not happened in both groups. There was no difference between the two groups according to the scoring with VAS.

CONCLUSIONAcupuncturing at Neiguan (PC 6) can reduce the incidence rates of the patients' nausea and retching after laparoscopic operation, especially in 24 h.