Lewis 1991.
Methods | Parallel‐group randomized trial, conducted in United States. Study dates not reported. | |
Participants | 66 children undergoing strabismus correction surgery. Excluded: children with anatomical or neurological abnormalities of the upper limbs. 2 children lost to follow‐up. | |
Interventions | Group 1: acupressure wristbands placed on P6 acupoints 1 h before surgery and worn until discharge from hospital (n = 33). Group 2: sham acupressure wristbands without studs placed on P6 acupoints 1 h before surgery and worn until discharge from hospital (n = 33). |
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Outcomes | Vomiting (0 ‐ 24 h), risk of rescue antiemetic drug, side effects. | |
Notes | Both types of wristbands were identical unless turned inside out. Rescue antiemetic was droperidol 0.02 mg/kg IV for vomiting. No side effects reported. No details about funding source or any declarations of interest among authors. |
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Risk of bias | ||
Bias | Authors' judgement | Support for judgement |
Random sequence generation (selection bias) | Unclear risk | Insufficient information. |
Allocation concealment (selection bias) | Unclear risk | Insufficient information. |
Blinding of patients (performance bias) All outcomes | Low risk | Authors took adequate steps to make interventions appear similar. |
Blinding of healthcare providers (performance bias) All outcomes | Low risk | The anaesthetic staff were blinded. |
Blinding of outcome assessor (detection bias) All outcomes | Low risk | "A second blinded investigator recorded all other perioperative data, including the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting in the recovery areas". |
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes | Low risk | Two participants in acupressure group had incomplete data. Comment: unlikely to have a clinically relevant impact on summary estimate. |
Selective reporting (reporting bias) | High risk | Although nausea was an outcome collected in the Methods section it was not reported in the Results because nausea may be difficult to assess in children. |
Other bias | Low risk | Baseline characteristics were comparable. "There were no significant differences between the two groups in their patient characteristics". |