Essential Oils to Reduce Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting.

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Background:

• Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a common complication following surgery.
• Antiemetic medications are frequently used but can have side effects.
• Exploring non-pharmacological interventions like aromatherapy is crucial for patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of essential oil aromatherapy in reducing antiemetic requirements for adult patients with PONV.
• To compare the effectiveness of peppermint, ginger, or a combination of both essential oils for PONV management.

Main Methods:

• Prospective and retrospective cross-sectional study design.
• Double-blinded administration of nasal inhalers containing peppermint, ginger, or a combination of both essential oils.
• Preoperative prophylactic dosing and postoperative nausea assessment using a verbal descriptive scale.

Main Results:

• 322 same-day surgical patients were analyzed (179 control, 143 intervention).
• The intervention group, despite a higher history of PONV, required fewer antiemetic doses postoperatively.
• No significant difference was observed in the effectiveness between the three essential oil inhaler types.

Conclusions:

• Aromatherapy using essential oils demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in the need for antiemetics for PONV.
• Essential oil aromatherapy presents a viable complementary approach for managing postoperative nausea and vomiting.