A clinical study of Simotang oral liquid combined with Shenque acupoint application for abdominal distension after cesarean section.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the preventive and therapeutic effects of Simotang oral liquid combined with Shenque acupoint application on abdominal distension after cesarean section, and assess its safety.

METHODS

A prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted. Parturients who underwent elective cesarean section in our hospital from June 2024 to June 2025 were enrolled and randomly divided into the intervention group (treated with Simotang oral liquid combined with Shenque acupoint application) and the control group (receiving standard nursing care), with 100 cases in each group. Compare the postoperative recovery indicators of the two groups.

RESULTS

The median recovery time of bowel sounds [8 (6, 10) h vs. 12 (10, 14) h], median time to first flatus [20 (17, 26) h vs. 26 (24, 29.5) h], and median time to first defecation [50 (48, 52) h vs. 55 (52, 61) h] in the intervention group were all significantly shorter than those in the control group (P < 0.001). There was no significant between-group difference in the overall incidence of abdominal distension, whereas the severity of abdominal distension was significantly lower in the intervention group, with zero severe distension cases observed in the intervention group. The rate of colostrum secretion within 60 h after surgery was 93.00% in the intervention group, which was significantly higher than 74.00% in the control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Simotang oral liquid combined with Shenque acupoint application can effectively promote the recovery of gastrointestinal function, alleviate the severity of abdominal distension (though it cannot reduce the overall incidence of distension), and facilitate early lactation after cesarean section, and thus possesses good clinical application value.