Pressure Right (Pressure Point) device effective in reducing postoperative Nausea

A clinical study has shown the acupressure Pressure Right system, from Pressure Point, can enhance the efficacy of an antiemetic drug combination in reducing the incidence of postoperative Nausea and Vomiting among high-risk patients after major surgery. Pressure Right is a single-use, disposable device that is applied to patients� wrists before induction of anesthesia. It operates by exerting pressure on the P6 pressure point, which provides relief from induced emetic symptoms. The study included 100 patients divided evenly into two study groups: one group (50 patients) received the acupressure Pressure Right device and the control group (50 patients) received a sham device. The incidence of vomiting at 24 hours was significantly decreased in the acupressure group (10% vs 26%, P = 0.04, 95% confidence interval for absolute risk reduction 1%�31%). The overall incidence of vomiting from 0 to 72 hours after surgery was also significantly decreased from 30% to 12% in the acupressure group (P = 0.03, 95% confidence interval 2%�33%). Furthermore, adjunctive use of the acupressure device seemed to enhance patient satisfaction with their PONV management and quality of recovery at 48 hours after surgery. The study, led by Paul F. White, Department of Anesthesiology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, also revealed that recovery times to hospital discharge, resumption of normal physical activities, and return to work did not differ significantly between the 2 study groups. See: "Use of a Disposable Acupressure Device as Part of a Multimodal Antiemetic Strategy for Reducing Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting." by Paul F. White et al. Anesthesia-Analgesia Journal April 13, 2012 doi:10.1213/ANE.0b013e3182536f27