Reduced Need for Rescue Antiemetics and Improved Capacity to Eat in Patients Receiving Acupuncture Compared to Patients Receiving Sham Acupuncture or Standard Care during Radiotherapy.
2017 (English)In: Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, ISSN 1741-427X, E-ISSN 1741-4288, Vol. 2017, article id 5806351
Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Objective. To evaluate if consumption of emesis-related care and eating capacity differed between patients receiving verum acupuncture, sham acupuncture, or standard care only during radiotherapy. Methods. Patients were randomized to verum (n = 100) or sham (n = 100) acupuncture (telescopic blunt sham needle) (median 12 sessions) and registered daily their consumption of antiemetics and eating capacity. A standard care group (n = 62) received standard care only and delivered these data once. Results. More patients in the verum (n = 73 of 89 patients still undergoing radiotherapy; 82%, Relative Risk (RR) 1.23, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.01-1.50) and the sham acupuncture group (n = 79 of 95; 83%, RR 1.24, CI 1.03-1.52) did not need any antiemetic medications, as compared to the standard care group (n = 42 out of 63; 67%) after receiving 27 Gray dose of radiotherapy. More patients in the verum (n = 50 of 89; 56%, RR 1.78, CI 1.31-2.42) and the sham acupuncture group (n = 58 of 94 answering patients; 62%, RR 1.83, CI 1.20-2.80) were capable of eating as usual, compared to the standard care group (n = 20 of 63; 39%). Conclusion. Patients receiving acupuncture had lower consumption of antiemetics and better eating capacity than patients receiving standard antiemetic care, plausible by nonspecific effects of the extra care during acupuncture.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Hindawi Publishing Corporation, 2017. Vol. 2017, article id 5806351
National Category
Nursing
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-136008DOI: 10.1155/2017/5806351ISI: 000394876600001PubMedID: 28270851OAI: oai:DiVA.org:liu-136008DiVA, id: diva2:1084353
Note
Funding agencies: Swedish Cancer Society; Region of Ostergotland; University of Linkoping; Cancer Rehabilitation Foundation; Swedish Institute of Health Research; Vardal Foundation for Healthcare Sciences and Allergy Research; Osher Center for Integrative Research, Karolin
2017-03-242017-03-242018-12-19Bibliographically approved