Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2015 Dec 16:2:87.
doi: 10.3389/fmed.2015.00087. eCollection 2015.

Alternative Therapies for the Prevention of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting

Nicoleta Stoicea  1 , Tong J Gan  2 , Nicholas Joseph  3 , Alberto Uribe  1 , Jyoti Pandya  1 , Rohan Dalal  4 , Sergio D Bergese  5
Affiliations
Review

Alternative Therapies for the Prevention of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting

Nicoleta Stoicea et al. Front Med (Lausanne). .

Abstract

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a complication affecting between 20 and 40% of all surgery patients, with high-risk patients experiencing rates of up to 80%. Recent studies and publications have shed light on the uses of alternative treatment for PONV through their modulation of endogenous opioid neuropeptides and neurokinin ligands. In addition to reducing PONV, hypnosis was reported to be useful in attenuating postoperative pain and anxiety, and contributing to hemodynamic stability. Music therapy has been utilized to deepen the sedation level and decrease patient anxiety, antiemetic and analgesic requirements, hospital length of stay, and fatigue. Isopropyl alcohol and peppermint oil aromatherapy have both been used to reduce postoperative nausea. With correct training in traditional Chinese healing techniques, acupuncture (APu) at the P6 acupoint has also been shown to be useful in preventing early PONV, postdischarge nausea and vomiting, and alleviating of pain. Electro-acupuncture (EAPu), as with APu, provided analgesic and antiemetic effects through release and modulation of opioid neuropeptides. These non-pharmacological modalities of treatment contribute to an overall patient wellbeing, assisting in physical and emotional healing.

Keywords: acupressure; acupuncture; alternative medicine; hypnosis; postoperative nausea and vomiting.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Phillips C, Brookes CD, Rich J, Arbon J, Turvey TA. Postoperative nausea and vomiting following orthognathic surgery. Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg (2015) 44(6):745–51.10.1016/j.ijom.2015.01.006 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Obrink E, Jildenstal P, Oddby E, Jakobsson JG. Post-operative nausea and vomiting: update on predicting the probability and ways to minimize its occurrence, with focus on ambulatory surgery. Int J Surg (2015) 15:100–6.10.1016/j.ijsu.2015.01.024 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Iqbal IM, Spencer R. Postoperative nausea and vomiting. Anaesth Intens Care Med (2012) 13(12):613–6.10.1016/j.mpaic.2012.09.012 - DOI
    1. Apfel CC, Korttila K, Abdalla M, Kerger H, Turan A, Vedder I, et al. A factorial trial of six interventions for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting. N Engl J Med (2004) 350(24):2441–51.10.1056/NEJMoa032196 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Horn CC, Wallisch WJ, Homanics GE, Williams JP. Pathophysiological and neurochemical mechanisms of postoperative nausea and vomiting. Eur J Pharmacol (2014) 722(1):55–66.10.1016/j.ejphar.2013.10.037 - DOI - PMC - PubMed