1. Peppermint Oil: Evaluating Efficacy on Nausea in Patients Receiving Chemotherapy in the Ambulatory Setting
- Author
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Darlene Hostetler, Jill F Sable, Catherine Parker, Margaret Masterson, Michelle Willis-Styles, Elizabeth Gouge, Melinda Higgins, Curlissa P Mapp, and Claudine Fortner
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Aromatherapy ,Nausea ,medicine.medical_treatment ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Internal medicine ,medicine ,Humans ,Plant Oils ,In patient ,Retching ,Depression (differential diagnoses) ,General Environmental Science ,Aged ,Chemotherapy ,030504 nursing ,Adult patients ,business.industry ,Mentha piperita ,Middle Aged ,Southeastern United States ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,Ambulatory ,General Earth and Planetary Sciences ,Antiemetics ,Female ,medicine.symptom ,0305 other medical science ,business - Abstract
Background Nausea is one of the most commonly reported side effects in patients receiving chemotherapy. Patients who experience nausea during chemotherapy may also experience depression, metabolic imbalances, dehydration, decreased ability to function, and treatment delays, which can ultimately affect outcomes. Objectives This study aimed to determine the efficacy of a cool damp washcloth with peppermint essential oil versus a cool damp washcloth alone on the self-reported intensity of nausea in patients receiving chemotherapy in the outpatient ambulatory setting. Methods 79 adult patients receiving chemotherapy were recruited from an outpatient ambulatory infusion center in the southeastern United States. Patients were separated into two groups (no scent and peppermint) and asked to rate the intensity of their chemotherapy-induced nausea at pre- and postintervention using the Baxter Retching Faces pictorial scale. Findings The results demonstrated that the use of peppermint oil was effective in decreasing the intensity of nausea experienced by patients compared to a cool washcloth alone.
- Published
- 2020