Does Acupressure Help Reduce Nausea and Vomiting in Palliative Care Patients? Formal Study

Not Applicable

• Conditions: Nausea; Vomiting
• Interventions: Device: Acupressure Wrist Bands (Sea-Bands); Device: Placebo wristbands

• Registration Number: NCT00550251
• Lead Sponsor: Sue Ryder Care

Brief Summary

Pilot study completed - power calculation performed. Now formal double blind randomized study comparing active with placebo wristbands for nausea in palliative care patients to be carried out.

Detailed Description

Terminally ill hospice in-patients suffering with nausea will be randomized to active or placebo acupressure bands. The study will last 3 days and they will be allowed to continue regular or have PRN anti-emetics during the study.

Assessors and patients will both be blinded to whether they patients are receiving active or placebo bands.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2007-10-25
• Study First Submitted QC: 2007-10-25
• Study First Posted: 2007-10-29
• Study Start: 2010-07
• Status Verified: 2018-05
• Last Update Submitted: 2018-05-03
• Last Update Posted: 2018-05-04
• Primary Completion: 2018-07
• Study Completion: 2018-07

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: UNKNOWN
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 58

Inclusion Criteria

1. Have a diagnosis of advanced cancer with an estimated prognosis of less than 1 year but more than 3 days.
2. Describe their nausea as at least moderate on a Likert scale OR at have had at least one vomit per day for the last three days.
3. Have an underlying cause for their nausea which is thought to be irreversible OR the patient has made an autonomous choice not to proceed with treatment for any potentially reversible cause (for example surgery for obstruction or drainage of ascites).
4. Can be male or female patients but must be over the age of 18.
5. Have signed a consent form prior to entering the study.
6. If patients are taking corticosteroids the dosage should be stable for 3 days before and during the trial.
7. Be thought to be well enough to complete the 3 day trial.

Exclusion criteria:

1. Arm lymphoedema.
2. Weakness, fatigue or confusion sufficient that patient is unable to take part.
3. Previous history of acupuncture/acupressure for nausea or vomiting, or history of use of acupressure by a close relative.
4. History of Parkinsonism or Parkinsonism on examination.
5. Patients will not be enrolled if they are sharing a room with another patient taking part in the study.
6. Patients who are unable to read or comprehend the questionnaire or Visual Analogue Scale.

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Acupressure Bands	Acupressure Wrist Bands (Sea-Bands)	Elasticated wrist bands with active bead pressing on Pericardium 6 acupressure points bilaterally.
Placebo	Placebo wristbands	Elasticated wrist bands without active bead.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Number of PRN Doses of anti-emetics needed	3 days

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Visual Analogue Scale of nausea; duration of perceived nausea; number of vomits per 24 hours; volume of vomit per 24 hours; adverse effects of acupressure; measure of whether the patient felt the intervention helped.	3 days

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Sue Ryder Care Leckhampton Court Hospice; 🇬🇧 Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom