ACUPUNCTURE AS AN ANTI-EMETIC IN MINOR GYNAECOLOGICAL SURGERY.

A study was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture as an anti-emetic in patients undergoing minor gynaecological surgery. 100 patients were studied divided into study group (Group I) and control group (Group II) of 50 patients each. In group I patients, acupuncture needle was inserted at acupuncture point P6, 10 minutes before induction of anesthesia. In group II, no acupuncture was used. Anaesthetic technique was similar in both the groups. Five patients (10%) in group I and twenty (40%) in group II had one or more emetic episodes. These results show that acupuncture can be one of the modalities for the prevention of nausea and vomiting in postoperative period and its use as an anti-emetic should be explored further.