Bachtiar Safrudin, Erika Rahmawati

Effectiveness of Implementing Acupressure Intervention at Points P6, Li4 and St36 to Reduce Nausea and Vomiting in Ca Mammary Patients: Case Study

Introduction

Effectiveness of implementing acupressure intervention at points p6, li4 and st36 to reduce nausea and vomiting in ca mammary patients: case study. Explore the effectiveness of acupressure at P6, Li4, St36 points to reduce nausea and vomiting in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. A case study shows significant improvement.

Abstract

Acupressure is one of the complementary therapies that can be done on chemotherapy patients to reduce nausea and vomiting. The purpose of this study was to describe the effect of acupressure on Points P6, Li 4 and St 36 in reducing acute nausea and vomiting in Ca Mammae patients undergoing chemotherapy. This research method used a special study approach and literature review with 2 respondents and 4 articles that were reviewed by linking the managed cases. Data analysis techniques in data collection used article analysis and nursing care through stages to evaluation. The research instrument used the Index of Nausea, Vomiting, and Retching (INVR) tools and nursing care formats. The results of this study where 4 articles explained the effectiveness of acupressure at points P6, Li 4 and St 36 were effective in suppressing nausea and vomiting. While the effectiveness of the intervention was seen from the results of the acupressure evaluation where within 3 days of management showed a change in the scale of nausea from moderate to mild.

Review

This manuscript addresses a highly pertinent clinical issue: the management of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in breast cancer patients, specifically exploring acupressure at points P6, Li4, and St36. The intent to evaluate acupressure as a complementary therapy is commendable, given the significant impact CINV has on patient quality of life and adherence to treatment. The use of a recognized assessment tool like the INVR further suggests a structured approach to data collection. However, the abstract immediately raises significant methodological concerns that impede its ability to robustly describe or claim "effectiveness." The core methodological ambiguity lies in the stated approach as a "special study approach and literature review with 2 respondents and 4 articles." While the title indicates a "Case Study," the integration of a literature review with only two direct patient observations (respondents) blurs the study's primary focus and analytical depth. With a sample size of merely two patients, drawing conclusions about the "effectiveness of implementing acupressure intervention" is severely limited and cannot be generalized. The abstract mixes findings from the four reviewed articles, which "explained the effectiveness," with the direct observations from the two cases, where a "change in the scale of nausea from moderate to mild" was noted within three days. This conflation of evidence from existing literature with minimal primary data makes it difficult to ascertain the unique contribution or the strength of the evidence presented for the individual cases. In conclusion, while the topic is critically important and the exploration of acupressure holds promise, this manuscript, as described in the abstract, suffers from significant methodological limitations that undermine any claims of effectiveness. The study design, with its minimal direct patient data and ambiguous integration with a literature review, is not robust enough to support the stated purpose of describing the *effect* of acupressure. To be considered for publication, this work would need substantial re-framing—perhaps as a detailed report of two illustrative cases, a preliminary feasibility study, or a more comprehensive narrative review that uses the cases as illustrative examples rather than primary evidence of efficacy. For any future research aiming to establish effectiveness, a more rigorous design, such as a randomized controlled trial with a larger sample, would be essential.

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