Effect of Ginger Tea on Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting among Patients Attending the Oncology Teaching Hospital, Baghdad 2020

Abstract

Background: Ginger has been widely used to relieve nausea and vomiting in several settings, one of
them, patients receiving chemotherapy. This study was done to assess the effect of ginger in controlling the
chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) among patients. Methods: An interventional (pre-post)
study design was conducted in oncology teaching hospital in Baghdad for three months. Sixty participants
were randomly assigned into intervention group (30 participants received ginger tea (1.5 g/d) with routine
antiemetic regimen for the first 5 days of the chemotherapy cycle) and control group (30 participants received
only routine antiemetic regimen). MASCC Antiemesis Tool (MAT) was used for assessment of CINV in
cancer patients before and after the use of ginger tea.
Results: No significant difference was observed between the intervention and control groups in the acute
and delayed phases of CINV after intervention with ginger tea(p >0.05), but difference between the study
groups was found statistically significant (p <0.05)regarding the severity of nausea postchemotherapy.
Conclusions: The addition of ginger tea to routine antiemetic regimen in patients receiving chemotherapy
effectively reduced the severity of nausea. However, there is no additional role for ginger in reducing the
acute and delayed phases of CINV.