9.2 Scientific Research According to Channelstonsillectomy. There was the same incidence of nausea episodes
in the TEAS group and in the ondansetron group, but signifi-
cantly fewer episodes than in the untreated control group. Side-
effects were significantly higher in the ondansetron group.
Kabalak et al, J Altern Complement Med 2005
An Indian prospective, randomised, placebo-controlled, double-
blinded trial (n120) investigated the effect of capsicum-plas-
ters on P-6on postoperative nausea and vomiting(PONV)
compared to conventional treatment with ondansetron. For the
duration of the plaster application (6 hours after the operation)
the incidence of PONV and the requirement for antiemetics
were significantly lower in both groups. Misra et al, Can J
Anaesth 2005
A Turkish prospective, randomised, placebo-controlled, single-
blinded trial (n127) investigated the effect of transcutaneous
electric nerve stimulation (TENS) at P-6on the incidence and
severity of nausea and gagging during gastroscopies. There
were no significant differences between the treatment group and
placebo group. Tarcin et al, Turk J Gastroenterol 2004
A Chinese prospective, non-blinded, randomised, group-compar-
ison trial (n30) investigated the effect of acupuncture at P-6
plus mexiletin on intermittent ventricular extrasystole. The
treatment group had a total effective rate of 90% compared with
the control group, who was administered mexiletin only (80%
total effective rate). Only the acupuncture group showed no
increase in extrasystole. Zhang et al, J Tradit Chin Med 2004.
A Chinese group-comparison trial investigated the effect of
acupuncture at P-6in the treatment of patients with angina pec-
toris and acute myocardial infarct. The effectiveness of
acupuncture was significantly better (91%) than conventional
treatment with isosorbide dinitrate and nifedipine. Meng et al,
J Tradit Chin Med 2004
A US prospective, controlled, group-comparison trial (n77)
investigated the effect of stimulation at P-6on the symptoms of
motion sicknessduring exposure to optokinetic drum rotation.
Despite the extreme test conditions, stimulating P-6 delayed
the onset of symptoms considerably. Miller et al, Aviat Space
Environ Med 2004
A Croatian prospective, single-blinded group-comparison trial
(n36) investigated the efficiency of acupuncture at P-6in the
treatment of hyperemesis gravidarum. Treatment results were
measured by the requirement for anti-emetic medication.
Acupuncture at P-6 had an efficiency rate of 90%, acupressure at
P-6 64%, placebo acupuncture 12.5% and placebo acupressure
0%. Habek et al, Forsch Komplementarmed Klass
Naturheilkd 2004
In a German prospective, randomised, placebo-controlled
double-blinded group-comparison trial acupuncture at P-6sig-
nificantly reduced the incidence of emesis after gynaecological
and breast surgery(40% placebo, 25% P-6). Postoperative
emesis was only reduced for gynaecological surgery, not for
breast surgery. Streitberger et al, Anaesthesia 2004
A Chinese prospective, randomised, single-blinded, placebo-
controlled group-comparison trial (n41) investigated the
effect of twice daily acupressure at P-6, ST-36and SP-6on gas-
trointestinal motility following trans-abdominal hysterec-
tomy. In comparison to the control group receiving acupressure
on sham points, gastrointestinal motility (measured with a mul-
tifunctional stethoscope) increased significantly in the acupres-
sure group. Chen et al, Am J Chin Med 2003
A German prospective, randomised, placebo-controlled, single-
blinded trial (n80) investigated the anti-emetic effect of
acupuncture at P-6in addition to administration of ondansetron
in patients with chemotherapy-related nausea. There was no
significant difference between the treatment and control group.
Streitberger et al, Clin Cancer Res 2003
A US prospective, randomised, placebo-controlled, double-
blinded trial (n230) investigated the effect of TENS at P-6for
the relief of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. Based on the
Rhodes Index, results in the verum group were significantly bet-
ter than in the control group. Rosen et al, Obstet Gynecol 2003
A British prospective, partially randomised, partially blinded,
placebo-controlled trial (n301 patients with acute myocar-
dial infarction, 125 of whom acted as a non-randomised control
group) compared the effect of wristband-acupressure at P-6with
placebo-acupressure. P-6 led to a significant reduction in nau-
sea and vomitingduring the last 20 hours of the 24-hour study
phase (18%), compared with the placebo group (32%) and the
control group (43%). Dent et al, Complement Ther Med 2003
A Swedish prospective case study (n39) investigated the
effect of P-6combined with ondansetron for nausea and vom-
itingassociated with cyclophosphamide chemotherapy. The
authors stated that, compared with ondansetron treatment alone,
the combined acupuncture-ondansetron treatment was signifi-
cantly more effective, but they do not mention a control group.
Josefson et al, Rheumatology (Oxford) 2003
In a US prospective, randomised, single-blinded trial (n53)
the application of ‘minute sphere’ acupressure at P-6, ST-36,
SP-6and SP-4showed no decrease of postoperative pain and
morphine requirement after abdominal surgery. Sakurai
et al, Anesth Analg 2003
A Swedish prospective, randomised, placebo-controlled, dou-
ble-blinded, multi-centre trial (n410) investigated the effect
of P-6for the treatment of postoperative nausea and vomiting
after gynaecological surgery. The incidence of nausea and
vomiting was significantly lower in the acupuncture group
(33%) than in the control group (46%). Alkaissi et al, Can
J Anaesth 2002
A US prospective, randomised, placebo- and sham-controlled,
double-blinded trial (n120) investigated the effect of the pro-
phylactic application of a ‘ReliefBand’ at P-6on the incidence of
nausea and vomiting after plastic surgery,compared to the
application of the ReliefBand in addition to 4 mg ondansetron.
The occurrence of nausea and vomiting as well as the need for
antiemetic ‘rescue’ medication was significantly the lowest in the
P-6 plus ondansetron group. White et al, Anesthesiology 2002
A Korean prospective, randomised, placebo-controlled, double-
blinded trial (n160) investigated among other parameters the