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Aromatherapy massage seems to enhance relaxation in children with burns: an observational pilot study
Linda-Anne O'Flaherty1, Monique van Dijk, Rene Albertyn
1Burn Unit, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.
Insights
Aromatherapy massage significantly reduced heart and respiratory rates in pediatric burn patients, indicating relaxation. Most children responded positively, suggesting it
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Burn Care
- Complementary Therapies
- Pain Management
Background:
- Pediatric burn patients experience significant distress.
- Nonpharmacological interventions are crucial for managing pain and anxiety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of aromatherapy massage on pediatric burn patients.
- To assess physiological and behavioral responses to aromatherapy massage.
Main Methods:
- Observational pilot study conducted in a South African burn unit.
- Measured heart rate and respiratory rate before and after aromatherapy massage sessions.
- Documented behavioral responses such as sleep state, facial expression, and body posture.
Main Results:
- Significant decreases in mean heart rate (118 to 109 bpm) and respiratory rate (34 to 30 breaths/min) were observed.
- 92.8% of aromatherapy massage sessions resulted in positive behavioral responses, including sleep and calmness.
- A small subset of patients (7.2%) exhibited distress during single massage sessions.
Conclusions:
- Aromatherapy massage appears to be an effective nonpharmacological method for reducing distress in hospitalized pediatric burn patients.
- Further research with robust designs and validated measures is recommended to confirm these findings.
Objective:
This observational pilot study investigated effects of aromatherapy massage in paediatric burn patients.
Methods:
The setting was a 17 beds level I burn unit in Cape Town, South Africa. Between January and October 2009 heart rates and respiratory rates of patients who underwent aromatherapy massage sessions were read before and after the sessions. Primary outcomes were decline in heart rates and respiratory rates, a sign of relaxation. Behavioural responses (sleep/awake state, facial expression, body posture) were documented as secondary outcomes.
Results:
A convenience sample of 71 paediatric burn patients (median age 3 years) underwent a total of 126 massage sessions. Mean heart rate decreased significantly from 118 (SD 20) to 109 (SD 21), t=9.8, p<0.001. Mean respiratory rate decreased significantly from 34 (SD 8) to 30 (SD 8), t=10.2, p<0.001. Most massage sessions (92.8%) elicited positive behaviour to the massage, e.g. the child fell asleep, calmed or asked to continue. Nine patients (7.2%) with a median age of 15 months who underwent a single massage session did not show positive behaviour but cried, wriggled or were distressed.
Conclusions:
Aromatherapy massage seems to be a helpful nonpharmacological approach to reduce hospitalized paediatric burn patients' distress. Future studies with better research designs and validated outcome measures should confirm our findings.
