The effects of lavender aromatherapy on pain following needle insertion into a fistula in hemodialysis patients

Bagheri-Nesami M, Espahbodi F, Nikkhah A, Shorofi SA, Charati JY
Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 2014


ABSTRACT:

OBJECTIVE:
This study sought to determine the effects of lavender aromatherapy on pain following needle insertion into a fistula in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

METHOD:
This is a randomized controlled clinical trial in which 92 patients undergoing hemodialysis with arteriovenous fistulas were randomly divided into two groups. The experimental-group patients inhaled lavender essence with a concentration of 10% for 5 min during 3 hemodialysis sessions, while the control-group patients received aromatherapy free of lavender essence.

RESULTS:
The mean VAS pain intensity score in the experimental and control groups before the intervention was 3.78 ± 0.24 and 4.16 ± 0.32, respectively (p = 0.35). The mean VAS pain intensity score in the experimental and control groups after three aromatherapy sessions was 2.36 ± 0.25 and 3.43 ± 0.31, respectively (p = 0.009).

CONCLUSION:
Lavender aromatherapy may be an effective technique to reduce pain following needle insertion into a fistula in hemodialysis patients.

CITATION:

Bagheri-Nesami M, Espahbodi F, Nikkhah A, et al. The effects of lavender aromatherapy on pain following needle insertion into a fistula in hemodialysis patients. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2014;20(1):1-4.


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