Effects of acupuncture on nausea and vomiting management in children with cancer : an integrative review

Abstract

Objective: evaluate the effects of acupuncture on nausea and vomiting management in children with a cancer. Method: integrative review, with the research question built on the PICO strategy. Search strategies for: CINAHL EBSCO, Cochrane Central Library, LILACS, PubMed and Web of Science, an additional search of the gray literature will be performed in Google Scholar, ProQuest and Open Gray. Also, a hand searches of bibliographies from include studies will also be performed. Results: three studies were included. The control treatments were: antiemetic medication alone and non-acupuncture integrative modalities. In the first study, the additional antiemetic medication in courses there was a reduction. In the second, the consumption of rescue antiemetic medication and episodes of retching and vomiting were lower in the courses with acupuncture. The third study showed the significant reduction in the acupuncture group for the nausea and vomiting compared for the others integrative therapies. Conclusion: according to the data found, there is a need for further studies to be developed in children to prove the effectiveness of acupuncture in the management of signs and symptoms resulting from cancer treatment.