Effects of acupressure on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting-a systematic review with meta-analyses and trial sequential analysis of randomized controlled trials

BackgroundAcupressure has been used as an effective way in treating with stomach upset. However the efficacy of acupressure in preventing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting is uncertain.ObjectiveTo assess the effectiveness of acupressure on three categories of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.Data sourcesDatabases had been retrieved from inception through February 2016 for the randomized controlled trials in accordance with the inclusion criteria, including PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, EMBASE, Science Direct, CINAHL, China Biology Medicine, Chinese National Knowledge infrastructure, Wan Fang and Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals. Additional studies were identified through hand searches of bibliographies and Internet searches.DesignSystematic review with meta-analyses and trial sequential analysis of randomized controlled trials.Review methodsTwo reviewers selected relevant eligible articles, critical appraisal of the methodological quality was conducted on the basis of using Cochrane Handbook. A standardized Excel form was used to extract information. Meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis was performed using software RevMan 5.3 and TSA 0.9.ResultsTwelve studies with 1419 patients were included. Only three studies were assessed as high quality, one study was evaluated as moderate, and eight studies were evaluated as poor. The meta-analysis showed that acupressure reduced the severity of acute (SMD = −0.18, 95% CI −0.31 to −0.05, p < 0.01) and delayed (SMD = −0.33, 95% CI −0.64 to −0.01, p = 0.04) nausea. However, there was no benefit effect on the incidence or frequency of vomiting. No definitive conclusions were drawn from the trial sequential analysis.ConclusionThis systematic review suggested a protective effect of acupressure on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, while more well-designed clinical trials with larger sample size were needed to draw a definitive conclusion.