Effects of Aromatherapy on Nausea Levels

Effects of Aromatherapy in Decreasing Nausea Levels in the Post-operative Bariatric Patient Population on a Surgical Unit

Aromatherapy is the therapeutic use of essential oils from plants for the improvement of physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Healthcare providers play an important role in improving the care of patients with nausea. Aromatherapy is a complementary therapy that may help with post-operative nausea in the adult post-operative bariatric patient population.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of aromatherapy intervention on nausea levels with post-operative bariatric patients once they are on the surgical unit.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Nausea, Postoperative
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: QUEASEEase aromatherapy quick tab; Other: Placebo product

Detailed Description

Subjects will be provided with information about this research study by the following means: a member of the research team- Inova Medical Group (IMG) Nurse Practitioners will discuss the research study during the patient's second pre-operative visit; study information will be uploaded to their MyChart portal; and flyers will be available in the IMG office (refer to appendix A: IMG office flyer). Interested patients will be able to fill out a brief form (refer to appendix B: Interested patient card) requesting to be contacted for further information, this form will be placed in a secure box at the reception desk or the patients can indicate interest by contacting one of the research team members. A member of the research team may need to access medical record information in order to confirm potential patient's phone number and or email address for further contact. A member of the research team will contact any interested patients and answer any questions regarding the research study. Consent will be obtained while the patient is in the peri-operative holding area on day of surgery by a member of the research team, excluding the IMG Nurse Practitioners. The research team member will determine if the patient is eligible for the study, discuss the study, answer any questions, and obtain consent (refer to appendix C: Consent). All members of the research team have completed Informed Consent Training. Once the consented post-operative bariatric patient complains of initial nausea on the Surgical Unit, the direct care nurse or research team member will ask the patient to rate their nausea level using a VAS on a 0-3 scale. Patients will be provided with either product A or B based on randomization scheme calculated by SAS (ver.9.4, Cary, NC). The patient will receive a one-time aromatherapy intervention. Nausea levels will be reassessed 5 minutes after the aromatherapy intervention. If the nausea level does not improve after the study drug intervention an antiemetic medication will be offered (refer to appendix D: Data Collection Form A).

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 180
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Virginia
    • Fairfax, Virginia, United States, 22033
      • Inova Fair Oaks Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 99 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients ≥ 18 years of age admitted to the Surgical Unit who are experiencing an initial episode of nausea status post laparoscopic/ robotic sleeve gastrectomy, and/or laparoscopic/robotic Roux-En-Y (RNY) surgery, and/or revisional bariatric surgery; must be able to read and speak English; able to follow directions; bariatric surgeon is part of Inova Medical Group (IMG) and patient is an inpatient.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients < 18 years of age; non-English speaking; not able to follow directions; inability to smell (anosmia); allergy to peppermint, spearmint, ginger and/or lavender; receiving bariatric surgery for gastroparesis; pregnant or breastfeeding; vulnerable subjects; receiving complementary therapy (healing touch and/or music therapy) or presently enrolled in another research study.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Actual aromatherapy product; QUEASEEase quick tab Aromatherapy product 50 % chance of participant receiving based on randomization	Other: QUEASEEase aromatherapy quick tab; Once patient complains of nausea above intervention will be administered for 5 minutes and nausea level reassessed.
Placebo Comparator: Placebo product; Placebo product (normal saline) 50% chance of participant receiving based on randomization	Other: Placebo product; Once patient complains of nausea above intervention will be administered for 5 minutes and nausea level reassessed.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Visual Analog Scale (VAS) from 0-3	Post administration nausea levels will be the source of information for this measure To determine the effectiveness of using aromatherapy as a first line intervention in place of an antiemetic in post-operative bariatric patients who experience nausea on the surgical unit at IFOH.	5 minutes

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Total post operative anti-emetic usage	Medication administration record will be the source of information for this measure. effective with a particular post-operative bariatric patient population (sleeve gastrectomy , Roux-En-Y, revisional bariatric surgery) on a surgical unit than with another.	24 hours

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Inova Health Care Services
• Investigators: Study Director: Mary Ann Friesen, PhD, RN, IHS

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): April 19, 2021
• Primary Completion (Actual): August 22, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): September 1, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 6, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 6, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): May 12, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): October 12, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 7, 2022
• Last Verified: October 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Postoperative Complications; Signs and Symptoms, Digestive; Vomiting; Nausea; Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting
• Other Study ID Numbers: U19-07-3670

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No