Assessing and managing nausea and vomiting in adults

Effective role of aromatherapy in reducing big little problem-postoperative nausea and vomiting: A systematic review

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) are common and distressing side effects after surgery and anesthesia. Pharmacological treatment is not sufficient to manage these two symptoms. Although the use of certain anesthetic agents is considered the main basis for this phenomenon, the exact factors are unknown. Aromatherapy is effective in reducing PONV in adults. The aim of this review is to scan the studies evaluating the effect of aromatherapy on the management of nausea and vomiting in the postoperative. A literature search was performed by scanning Cochrane Reviews, PubMed, OVID, Sciences Direct, and Google Scholar. Keywords "aromatherapy," "use of aromatherapy," "aromatherapy oils," "nausea," "vomiting," "postoperative nausea and vomiting," and "PONV" combined with Boolean operators, including AND, OR, and NOT. Data gathered from studies published from 2013 to 2023 were reviewed for the effect of aromatherapy on PONV. As a result of the screening, 12 studies out of a total of 706 studies were examined based on the inclusion criteria. In the studies, aromatherapy was used either by inhalation or orally. The plants that were used the most in these studies were ginger and mint. When the literature was reviewed, it was found that aromatherapy reduced the rate of nausea and vomiting and the need for antiemetics, especially in the first minutes after surgery. Using aromatherapy in surgical patients may relieve common postoperative symptoms. The limitations of drug therapy have led to an increase in the use of alternative drugs for the management of nausea and vomiting. Aromatherapy was favored by most patients and is an effective treatment option for PONV.

Complementary Intervention in Postoperative Care: Aromatherapy's Role in Decreasing Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting

Purpose: This study analyzed the efficacy of Post-Ease, a custom essential oil aromatherapy blend, in decreasing postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and the need for antiemetic drugs in an orthopaedic surgical population. Study Design: This is retrospective cohort study, utilizing electronic health record data pre- and post-implementation of a nurse-driven quality improvement intervention. Methods: The study examined the impact of an inhaled custom blend of essential oils containing lavender, peppermint, ginger and lemon to assist in decreasing PONV and reduce the use of antiemetic medications. Data on the use of antiemetic drugs in pre- and post-intervention periods were analyzed. Findings: Nurses provided the Post-Ease blend 384 times in 2020 to patients as an option before proceeding, if necessary, to antiemetic drugs. The intervention group demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in the number of unique surgical patients' need for antiemetics as treatment (22%; p = .05). Similarly, the total doses of antiemetics administered was significantly reduced (21%; p ≤ .05) during the study period. Conclusion: This study supports the use of aromatherapy to reduce PONV and minimize antiemetic use in an orthopaedic population.