Stimulation of the Neiguan P-6 acupuncture point is an effective adjunctive treatment for post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in children undergoing adenoidectomy or tonsillectomy. A pragmatic randomised controlled trial carried out in Norway enrolled 154 children who were undergoing day-surgery. The intervention group received acupuncture at Neiguan P-6 bilaterally for a median of 21 minutes during anaesthesia, followed by acupressure wristbands for 24 hours, alongside standard drug treatment.
The control group received standard treatment. The results showed that children in the acustimulation group experienced less significantly retching and vomiting than the control group (46.8% vs 66.2%). The effect of acustimulation was found to be specifically pronounced in girls and children aged 1-3 years. (Perioperative acupuncture and postoperative acupressure can prevent postoperative vomiting following paediatric tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy: a pragmatic randomised controlled trial. Acupunct Med. 2010 Dec 18.
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