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Learning Objective 1: The learner will be able to describe major acupressure points for alleviating constipation in patients with acute coronary artery diseases.
Learning Objective 2: The learner will be able to describe effectiveness of using acupressure in resolving constipation in patients with acute coronary artery diseases.
Methods: We search articles on acupressure therapy which used the design of randomize control trials (RCTs) to investigate the effect of acupressure on the CAD patients. Three English (pubMed, Medline, and CINAHL) and four Chinese (CEPS, CKNI, CJN, and CETD) databases were used to search English and Chinese literature published up to November, 2011. Using ‘acupressure’ and its related Chinese and English key words as search terms, nine relevant articles were identified and included in the current study.
Results: The study results indicated that all included studies presented that acupressure was effective in relieving and preventing constipation in CAD patients. Six articles (67%) indicated that when the acupressure was provided at the first or second day of admission, more than 80% constipation in CAD patients could be resolved in three days. Five commonly used acupressure points to relieve constipation in CAD patients were ST25, ST36, T6, LI4, and SP6.
Conclusion: Prevention and alleviation of constipation is important for the survival of CAD patients. Effectiveness of applying acupressure to relieve constipation in CAD patients was supported by all studies reviewed. It is suggested that evidence-based acupressure protocols to be developed for an effective, standardized operation in the future.
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