To begin, ensure the patient's ear auricle area has dried after disinfecting it with 75%alcohol, Then stabilize the auricle by pinching the ear helix with the thumb and index finger of one hand and lifting it backward and upward. Next, use the forceps to pick up the prepared ear plaster and place it onto the selected acupoint in the patient's ear, such that the cow herb seeds in the center of the plaster touches the selected point. Ask for the patient's assurance that the seed placement aligns with a sensitive or sore spot.
Positioning the thumb and index finger in front of and behind the auricle. Apply moderate and tolerable pressure with rhythmic, pressing and relaxing motion to stimulate the cow herb seeds at the auricular site. Continue the rhythmic press and release at each site for three to five minutes, maintaining an even pace.
Monitor the patient's overall condition for 15 minutes post-treatment. Instruct the patient or their family to stimulate the seeds by rubbing the concerned area three times a day, in the morning, at midday, and in the evening. After three days, remove the ear plaster and repeat the procedure on the opposite ear, alternating treatment between both ears.
Compared to the control group, the experimental group, which received ear plaster therapy, had a significantly shorter average hospital stay and also required a significantly lower time for ketone bodies to turn negative. These suggested that ear plaster therapy can effectively reduce the treatment time for gestational vomiting. Prior to treatment, there were no statistically significant differences in PUQE scores between the experimental and control groups.
However, after five days of treatment, both showed a significant reduction in the scores. But the score of the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group.
