Abstracts 51-75

51. The use of aromatherapy in intrapartum midwifery practice an (return to list)

observational study. - MED 01-01 20487886

Burns, E.; Blamey, C.; Ersser, S. J.; Lloyd, A. J.; Barnetson, L.

JOURNAL NAME- Complement Ther Nurs Midwifery 2000 Feb PP. 33-4

DOCUMENT TYPE- Journal Article JOURNAL CODE- C0J; 9506953 ISSN-

1353-6117 CORPORATE AUTHOR- Oxford Brooks University, U.K.

PUBLICATION COUNTRY- SCOTLAND LANGUAGE- English

The authors report the process and results of an evaluation of a

midwifery aromatherapy service for mothers in labour: This study of 8058

mothers in childbirth, is the largest research initiative in the use of

aromatherapy within a health-care setting. The study involved a wide

range of participants, from mothers who experienced a low risk,

spontaneous labour and birth, to those whose labour was induced, and

those who had vaginal operative delivery and Caesarean section. The

study-took place over a period of 8 years, which enabled a more

challenging test of the effect of aromatherapy on intrapartum midwifery

practice and outcomes. In the study a total of 10 essential oils were

used, plus a carrier oil, which were administered to the participants

via skin absorption and inhalation. The study found little direct

evidence that the practice of aromatherapy per se reduces the need for

pain relief during labour, or the incidence of operative delivery. But a

key finding of this study suggests that two essential oils, clary sage

and chamomile are effective in alleviating pain. The evidence from this

study suggests that aromatherapy can be effective in reducing maternal

anxiety, fear and/or pain during labour. The use of aromatherapy

appeared to facilitate a further reduction in the use of systemic

opioids in the study centre, from 6% in 1990 to 0.4% in 1997 (per

woman). Aromatherapy is an inexpensive care option. In 1997 when 1592

mothers used aromatherapy, the total cost was 769.17 Pounds. The study

reports a minimal incidence of associated symptoms. Out of 8058 mothers,

1% (100) recorded an associated symptom. These were mild in nature. The

successful model of integrated practice that this aromatherapy study

presents, offers a useful example for other units to consider.

52. Evaluation and attributional analysis of an aromatherapy service for (return to list)

older adults with physical health problems and carers using the service.

- MED 00-06 20174085

Papadopoulos, A.; Wright, S.; Ensor, J.

JOURNAL NAME- Complement Ther Med VOL. 7 NO. 4 1999 Dec PP.

239-44 DOCUMENT TYPE- JOURNAL ARTICLE JOURNAL CODE- C6K ISSN-

0965-2299 CORPORATE AUTHOR- South Birmingham Mental Health NHS Trust,

UK. PUBLICATION COUNTRY- SCOTLAND LANGUAGE- English

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate an aromatherapy service for older adults with

physical health problems and their carers. The aromatherapy service was

based in a carer support unit at a hospital in Birmingham. The research

question was, 'What types of benefits do clients/carers report from

aromatherapy?' DESIGN: Qualitative analysis of interview scripts and

written descriptions. SETTING: The interviews were carried out either at

the carer support unit, at a connected day centre or at the

client/carer's home. PARTICIPANTS: The participants were six clients and

four carers who were in contact with the carer support unit and had

received aromatherapy from the aromatherapist in the past year. MAIN

OUTCOME MEASURES: The participants were interviewed using a

semi-structured questionnaire to explore which part of a session they

liked best, perceived benefits of aromatherapy and a smell attribution

to certain essential oils. The aromatherapist was also asked to write

descriptions of her perceived benefits for the clients and carers. The

interviews were analysed qualitatively and compared to the

aromatherapist's written descriptions. RESULTS: All clients and carers

said they benefited from the aromatherapy and felt more relaxed after a

session. The qualitative analysis revealed a 70% area of overlap and a

30% 'hidden' area of congruence. The smell analysis revealed individual

differences in attribution depending on past experience and expectation

of oil presented. CONCLUSION: The findings of this evaluation suggest

the aromatherapy service offered was valuable to clients and carers and

their perception of its benefits for them were largely congruent with

those of the aromatherapist.

53.A delivery system for olfactory stimuli. - MED 00-04 20099800 (return to list)

Palmer, B. R.; Stough, C.; Patterson, J.

JOURNAL NAME- Behav Res Methods Instrum Comput VOL. 31 NO. 4 1999

Nov PP. 674-9 DOCUMENT TYPE- JOURNAL ARTICLE JOURNAL CODE- DGI

ISSN- 0743-3808 CORPORATE AUTHOR- School of Biophysical Sciences and

Electrical Engineering, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn,

VIC, Australia. PUBLICATION COUNTRY- UNITED STATES LANGUAGE- English

This paper describes the design of a new method for controlling and

administering olfactory stimuli--namely, the hood system. The hood

system involves a stream of vaporized odor (at known concentrations)

mixed with odorless air and pumped (at a constant flow rate) into an

oxygen therapy hood. It is designed to be used with odorants in

solution, such as essential oils, as the olfactory stimulus. The use of

oxygen therapy hoods allows for the precise control of a constant

concentration of odorized air over time, while allowing subjects to

breathe normally. The hood system provides a natural administration of

olfactory stimuli and the exact determination of the stimulus

concentration. The use of this system will allow experimental conditions

to be completely defined and results and replication studies to be

accurately interpreted. The hood system is portable, cost effective, and

constructed from readily available components. It is proposed that the

hood system could be adopted to suit a wide range of olfactory research,

particularly that in which the effects of chronic exposure to olfactory

stimuli on cognition are examined.

54. Use of aromatherapy as a complementary treatment for chronic pain. - (return to list)

MED 00-01 99414471

Buckle, J.

JOURNAL NAME- Altern Ther Health Med VOL. 5 NO. 5 1999 Sep PP.

42-51 96 reference(s) DOCUMENT TYPE- JOURNAL ARTICLE; REVIEW;

REVIEW, TUTORIAL JOURNAL CODE- CLW ISSN- 1078-6791 PUBLICATION

COUNTRY- UNITED STATES LANGUAGE- English

Chronic pain consumes approximately $70 billion per year and affects

some 80 million Americans. Increasingly, aromatherapy has been used as

part of an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to pain management.

This therapy is thought to enhance the parasympathetic response through

the effects of touch and smell, encouraging relaxation at a deep level.

Relaxation has been shown to alter perceptions of pain. Even if one

ignores the possibility that essential oils have pharmacologically

active ingredients--or the potential pharmacokinetic potentization of

conventional drugs by essential oils--aromatherapy might possibly play a

role in the management of chronic pain through relaxation. Clinical

trials are in the early stages, but evidence suggests that aromatherapy

might be used as a complementary therapy for managing chronic pain. As

such, this article examines the potential role of clinical aromatherapy

as a complementary therapy in the care of patients with chronic pain.

Although the use of aromatherapy is not restricted to nursing, at least

1 state board of nursing has recognized the therapeutic value of

aromatherapy and voted to accept it as part of holistic nursing care.

55. Effects of olfactory stimuli on urge reduction in smokers. - MED 99-09 (return to list)

99271514

Sayette, M. A.; Parrott, D. J.

JOURNAL NAME- Exp Clin Psychopharmacol VOL. 7 NO. 2 1999 May PP.

151-9 DOCUMENT TYPE- JOURNAL ARTICLE JOURNAL CODE- CWB JOURNAL

SUBSET- MEDJSM ISSN- 1064-1297 CORPORATE AUTHOR- Department of

Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, USA.

sayette+@pitt.edu CONTRACT/GRANT NUMBER- RO1 DA10605.DA.NIDA

PUBLICATION COUNTRY- UNITED STATES LANGUAGE- English

This study examined the possibility that exposure to olfactory stimuli

can reduce self-reported urge to smoke. After an initial assessment of

self-reported urge, nicotine-deprived smokers evaluated the pleasantness

of a series of 8 odors. Facial expressions during odor presentations

were coded with P. Ekman and W. V. Friesen's (1978a) Facial Action

Coding System. After odor administration, participants were exposed to

smoking cues. Next, participants were administered their most pleasant,

least pleasant, or a control odor (water) and reported their urge to

smoke. Results indicated that sniffing either a pleasant or unpleasant

odor reduced reported urge to smoke relative to the control odor.

Reported pleasantness of the odors did not differentially affect urge

reduction. Odors eliciting negative-affect-related expressions, however,

were less effective than odors that did not elicit negative-affect-rela-

ted expressions in reducing reported urge. Results of this preliminary

investigation provide support for the consideration of odor stimuli as

an approach to craving reduction.

56. Aromatherapy positively affects mood, EEG patterns of alertness and (return to list)

math computations. - MED 99-08 99167151

Diego, M. A.; Jones, N. A.; Field, T.; Hernandez-Reif, M.;

Schanberg, S.; Kuhn, C.; McAdam, V.; Galamaga, R.; Galamaga, M.

JOURNAL NAME- Int J Neurosci VOL. 96 NO. 3-4 1998 Dec PP. 217-24

DOCUMENT TYPE- CLINICAL TRIAL; JOURNAL ARTICLE; RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED

TRIAL JOURNAL CODE- GS4 JOURNAL SUBSET- MEDJSM ISSN- 0020-7454

CORPORATE AUTHOR- University of Miami School of Medicine, USA.

CONTRACT/GRANT NUMBER- MH00331.MH.NIMH; MH46586.MH.NIMH PUBLICATION

COUNTRY- ENGLAND LANGUAGE- English

EEG activity, alertness, and mood were assessed in 40 adults given 3

minutes of aromatherapy using two aromas, lavender (considered a

relaxing odor) or rosemary (considered a stimulating odor). Participants

were also given simple math computations before and after the therapy.

The lavender group showed increased beta power, suggesting increased

drowsiness, they had less depressed mood (POMS) and reported feeling

more relaxed and performed the math computations faster and more

accurately following aromatherapy. The rosemary group, on the other

hand, showed decreased frontal alpha and beta power, suggesting

increased alertness. They also had lower state anxiety scores, reported

feeling more relaxed and alert and they were only faster, not more

accurate, at completing the math computations after the aromatherapy

session.

57. Contact reactions to fragrances. - MED 99-08 99280016 (return to list)

Katsarou, A.; Armenaka, M.; Kalogeromitros, D.; Koufou, V.;

Georgala, S.

JOURNAL NAME- Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol VOL. 82 NO. 5 1999 May

PP. 449-55 DOCUMENT TYPE- JOURNAL ARTICLE JOURNAL CODE- CBM

JOURNAL SUBSET- MEDJSM ISSN- 1081-1206 CORPORATE AUTHOR- Department

of Dermatology, University of Athens, A. Sygros Hospital, Greece.

PUBLICATION COUNTRY- UNITED STATES LANGUAGE- English

BACKGROUND: The most common reaction to fragrances is contact

dermatitis, a delayed hypersensitivity reaction; however, other

reactions include immediate contact reactions (contact urticaria) and

photo-allergic reactions. Fragrance mix (FM) and balsam of Peru (BP) are

used to screen for fragrance allergy. OBJECTIVE: To study the different

types of allergic skin reactions to fragrance compounds. METHODS:

Delayed hypersensitivity reactions to FM and BP were studied in 4,975

patients with suspected contact dermatitis by routine patch testing

interpreted at 48 and 96 hours. In 664 of the patients, patch tests were

read at 30 minutes to evaluate for immediate (wheal-and-flare) contact

reactions and again at 48 and 96 hours. Photopatch tests to FM were

performed in 111 patients with suspected photo-allergic dermatitis.

RESULTS: Delayed contact reactions to FM occurred in 6.6% of females and

5.4% of males and to BP in 3.9% of females and 4.1% of males. Analysis

of data over time (12 study years) showed an increased trend for

reactions to fragrances, particularly in males. Sensitivity to other

contact allergens (polysensitivity) was found in 62% of patients and

polysensitivity presented more often with generalized contact

dermatitis. The most sensitizing components of the fragrance mix that

were tested in 38 patients were cinnamic alcohol, oak moss, and cinnamic

aldehyde. There were 112 immediate patch test reactions to FM and 113 to

BP in 664 patients. Immediate contact reactions were followed by delayed

contact reactions in 13.4% of patients for FM and 8.8% for BP,

representing a significant increase in the frequency of delayed contact

reactions. Patients with immediate contact reactions to fragrances did

not have a higher incidence of atopy (25.9%). No cases of positive

photopatch test reactions to FM were seen. CONCLUSION: Fragrances

commonly cause both delayed and immediate patch test reactions and

patients with immediate contact reactions have an increase in delayed

contact reactions to the same allergen.

58. Effects of a long-term inhalation of fragrances on the stress-induced (return to list)

immunosuppression in mice. - MED 99-02 98437433

Fujiwara, R.; Komori, T.; Noda, Y.; Kuraoka, T.; Shibata, H.;

Shizuya, K.; Miyahara, S.; Ohmori, M.; Nomura, J.; Yokoyama, M. M.

JOURNAL NAME- Neuroimmunomodulation VOL. 5 NO. 6 1998 Nov-Dec

PP. 318-22 DOCUMENT TYPE- JOURNAL ARTICLE JOURNAL CODE- CCL

JOURNAL SUBSET- MEDJSM ISSN- 1021-7401 CORPORATE AUTHOR- Department

of Immunology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan.

PUBLICATION COUNTRY- SWITZERLAND LANGUAGE- English

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of the long-term

application of various fragrances on the suppression of immune response

induced by high-pressure stress in mice. The immune response was

analyzed based on plaque-forming cell (PFC) count, using mice sensitized

with sheep red blood cells. The decreased PFC involving thymic

involution induced by high-pressure stress in mice was restored by

exposing the stressed mice to tuberose, lemon, oakmoss and labdanum for

24 h following exposure to stress. The decreased PFC and thymic

involution from stress were restored by exposure to lemon and oakmoss,

but not to tuberose and labdanum when the mice were exposed to those

fragrances continuously for 3 weeks before the stress was given,

followed by exposure to the same fragrances for 24 h after the stress.

The decreased PFC and thymic involution from stress were restored by

exposure to lemon and labdanum for 24 h after the stress, but not to

tuberose over 3 weeks before the stress was given. These data suggest

that the neuroimmunomodulatory effects of fragrances may be affected by

tolerance depending on the kinds of fragrances in the case of a

long-term application.

59. The effect of aromatherapy in promoting relaxation and stress (return to list)

reduction in a general hospital. - MED 98-04 98102336

Cannard, G.

JOURNAL NAME- Complement Ther Nurs Midwifery VOL. 2 NO. 2 1996 Apr

PP. 38-40 DOCUMENT TYPE- JOURNAL ARTICLE JOURNAL CODE- C0J JOURNAL

SUBSET- MEDJSN ISSN- 1353-6117 CORPORATE AUTHOR- Nursing Development

Unit, General Hospital, Co. Offaly, Eire. SPECIAL INDICATOR- MEDSFN

PUBLICATION COUNTRY- SCOTLAND LANGUAGE- English

The Tullamore Nursing Development Unit (NDU), since its inception in

1993, has been engaged in improving the quality of nursing practice

offered to the patients in the NDU and in the hospital as a whole. Many

areas of patient care have been addressed, including some of the more

tenacious problems, which have often proved resistant to traditional

nursing care. One such problem is sleep disturbance, especially in the

older patient. In order to try to improve the care available, the staff

of the NDU have had to adopt some alternatives to the traditional way of

thinking. The use of aromatherapy has significantly improved the sleep

patterns of the patients and at the same time, reduced the amount of

night sedation required. Following a study of the effectiveness of

aromatherapy, it is now being successfully used in the Coronary Care

Unit for patients with problems of stress, with encouraging results.

60. The effects of aromatherapy on the patient outcomes of anxiety and (return to list)

sleep quality in coronary care unit patients. Annotated Title-

lavender aromatherapy treatment, anxiety & sleep quality, coronary

care unit patients - PSY 99-11 1999-95002-483

Borromeo, Annabelle R.

JOURNAL NAME- Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The

Sciences & Engineering VOL. 59 NO. 7-B 1999 Jan PP. 3343

DOCUMENT TYPE- Dissertation Abstract ISSN- 0419-4217 MEDIA TYPE-

Print (Paper) AUTHOR AFFILIATION- Texas Woman'S U, US LITERARY

INDICATOR(S)- Empirical Study SUPPLEMENTARY NOTE(S)- AAM9900349

LANGUAGE- English

Anxiety and poor sleep quality in the Coronary Care Unit (CCU)

population are well documented. Traditionally, these problems are

treated with drugs that are expensive and have harmful side effects.

Complementary therapies are gaining acceptance because they provide

cost-effective and safe alternatives to achieve the desired outcomes.

Aromatherapy, the controlled use of essential oils to enhance health, is

one example of a complementary therapy. It utilizes the healing

properties of the oils and their odor. Aromatherapy appears to be most

useful in achieving positive effects on such problems as anxiety, and

insomnia. A repeated measures design was used to examine the effects of

a passively-diffused 9-hour lavender aromatherapy treatment compared

with a control on anxiety and sleep quality in CCU patients. A

systematic random sampling technique was used to select 25 subjects

admitted to the CCU of a large tertiary care hospital located in

Southeast Texas. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), a 20-item

instrument, was used to measure anxiety immediately before treatment,

thirty to sixty minutes after treatment start, and upon awakening the

next day. The Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ), a 5-item

instrument with a visual analogue scale design, was used to measure

sleep quality. Investigator-designed instruments were used to record

demographic data and medications for anxiety, sleep and pain used during

the study. The first three hypotheses, there will be a significant

difference in anxiety scores between treatments, in anxiety scores over

time, and there will be a significant difference in treatment and time

interaction effect on anxiety, were examined using a multivariate

approach to analysis of variance for repeated measures. An analysis of

covariance was not performed because there were no significant

correlations between variables. The fourth hypothesis, there will be a

significant difference in sleep scores between the two treatments

(aromatherapy vs. control), was examined using a t-test for dependent

samples. None of the hypotheses were supported. Passively diffused

aromatherapy using lavender on cotton ball did not significantly affect

anxiety levels and sleep quality in CCU patients. These findings must be

viewed with caution, because power analysis revealed low effect sizes

reserved)

61. Can aromotherapy oils promote sleep in severely demented patients? – PSY (return to list)

84-12 80564-34-12 80564

Wolfe, Nicola; Herzberg, Joe

JOURNAL NAME- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry VOL. 11

NO. 10 1996-10 PP. 926-927 DOCUMENT TYPE- JOURNAL ARTICLE ISSN-

0885-6230 AUTHOR AFFILIATION- Ann Moss House, London, England

SUBFILE- SERIALS LANGUAGE- English

Reports preliminary findings suggesting that essential aromatherapy oils

may be beneficial in promoting sleep and reducing the need for night

sedation in Ss with multi-infarct dementia or Alzheimer's disease. The

sleep and night-time behavior patterns of an 88 yr-old man and a 76

yr-old woman were coded at half hr intervals using 8 behavioral codes

and were taken for 2 wks. Following this, the 2 Ss were given

aromatherapy treatment for 6 wks. Results indicate that mean hours per

week of sleep time increased for both Ss after the initiation of

aromatherapy. This study lends support to the notion that essential

aromatherapy oils can promote sleep, reduce dependence on hypnotic

medication in demented Ss and promote a restful night. (PsycINFO

reserved)

62. An introduction to aromatherapy for people with learning disabilities. - (return to list)

PSY 83-02 5775-83-02 5775

Harrison, Jane; Ruddle, Judy

JOURNAL NAME- British Journal of Learning Disabilities VOL. 23 NO. 1

1995-03 PP. 37-40 DOCUMENT TYPE- JOURNAL ARTICLE ISSN- 1354-4187

SUBFILE- SERIALS LANGUAGE- English

Explores the use of aromatherapy with children and adults who have

severe learning disabilities. The relaxing, invigorating, and

health-promoting effects of aromatherapy are considered, as is its

potential to provide sensory stimulation and to help develop

communication through a trusting relationship. Benefits of aromatherapy

in 4 cases and in a day service facility are described. (PsycINFO

reserved)

63. Aromatherapy and occupational therapy. - PSY 93-00 11189-80-03 (return to list)

11189

Sanderson, Helen; Ruddle, Judy

JOURNAL NAME- British Journal of Occupational Therapy VOL. 55 NO. 8

1992-08 PP. 310-314 DOCUMENT TYPE- JOURNAL ARTICLE ISSN- 0308-0226

AUTHOR AFFILIATION- South Manchester Services for People with Learning

Difficulties, England SUBFILE- SERIALS LANGUAGE- English

Discusses how occupational therapists use aromatherapy (AR) (the

application of essential oils) to promote health and well-being through

massage, inhalation, baths, compresses, creams, and lotions. Essential

oils have many different properties, often including antidepressant,

antibacterial, or sedative qualities. Many believe that the strength of

AR lies in the interrelation of the elements of the essential oil,

massage, and therapist/client relationship. AR is used to (1) reduce

stress, (2) invigorate and promote activity and alertness, (3) stimulate

sensory awareness, (4) facilitate interaction and communication, (5)

treat medical problems, and (6) provide pain relief. Three case studies

are presented of clients treated with AR. (PsycINFO Database Copyright

64. Essential oils as psychotherapeutic agents. - PSY 88-0088-365040-005 (return to list)

Tisserand, R.

hardcover 1988 xx, 268 page(s) References reference(s) ISBN-

0-412-30010-9 MEDIA TYPE- Chapter PARENT BOOK CITATION- Perfumery:

The psychology and biology of fragrance. (Steve Van Toller, George H.

Dodd, Eds.), pp. 167-181 AUTHOR AFFILIATION- The Tisserand

Aromatherapy Inst, East Sussex, England SUBFILE- BOOKS/CHAPTERS

PUBLISHER- Chapman & Hall, London, England UPDATE DATE- 1988-01

TARGET AUDIENCE- Interdisciplinary: Graduate/Professional LANGUAGE-

ENGLISH

(from the chapter) effects of essential oils on emotional states

concepts of mood evocation with essential oils aromatherapy

65. The influence of aromatherapy on mood. - CAB 01-04 20003029527 (return to list)

Shimizu, K.

JOURNAL NAME- Aroma Research VOL. 1 NO. 1 2000 PP. 50-54 5
reference(s) DOCUMENT TYPE- Journal article ISSN- 1345-4722 ORGANISM
DESCRIPTOR(S)- man LANGUAGE OF ABSTRACT- english LANGUAGE- Japanese

To study the influence of aromatherapy on mood, 3 experiments were
designed. The first involved stimulation of the sense of smell, the second
involved stimulation of the sense of touch, and the third involved
stimulation of smell and touch. Mood was described and categorized, and
sleep conditions were measured. Stimulation of smell-touch had more
influence on all categories of mood and improved sleep compared with the
stimulation of the sense of smell alone. Aromatherapy is effective for
stress relief.

66. The role of aromatherapy in nursing care. - MED 01-09 21241052 (return to list)

Buckle, J.

JOURNAL NAME- Nurs Clin North Am VOL. 36 2001 Mar PP. 57-72 78

reference(s) DOCUMENT TYPE- Journal Article; Review; Review, Tutorial

JOURNAL CODE- O92; 0042033 JOURNAL SUBSET- MEDJSAIM; MEDJSIM ISSN-

0029-6465 CORPORATE AUTHOR- Department of Botanical Medicine and

Psychology, Bastyr University, Seattle, Washington. rjbinfo@aol.com

PUBLICATION COUNTRY- United States LANGUAGE- English

Aromatherapy is the fastest growing of all complementary therapies among

nurses in the United States. Although aromatherapy has been used by the

public for recreation for thousands of years and by nurses throughout the

world during the last 15 years, it is only in the last few years that

aromatherapy has become recognized by US State Boards of Nursing as a

legitimate part of holistic nursing. Aromatherapy is now set to become one

of the most popular tools that nurses can use to enhance their nursing

care and simultaneously empower themselves. This article explores the

potential role of aromatherapy in nursing, highlights four essential oils,

and suggests practical ways that nurses can begin using this gentle

therapy.

67. Contemporary therapy: aromatherapy in the management of acute pain? – MED (return to list)

01-09 21022558

Ching, M.

JOURNAL NAME- Contemp Nurse 1999 Dec PP. 146-51 DOCUMENT TYPE-

Journal Article JOURNAL CODE- BH9; 9211867 ISSN- 1037-6178

CORPORATE AUTHOR- Deakin University, Burwood. PUBLICATION COUNTRY-

Australia LANGUAGE- English

Recent surveys indicate that people are increasingly using complementary

therapies as an adjunct or alternative to conventional treatment options

as well as for general health and well being. Whilst complementary

therapies such as aromatherapy have been utilised in clinical settings as

diverse as long term care facilities and palliative care, its application

to the acute care setting has not been explored in depth. The changes in

contemporary health care practices such as post-operative pain management

and length of hospital admissions have provided nurses with the challenge

of examining the range of therapeutic interventions that can be applied to

their practice. The purpose of this paper is to examine critically the

potential uses of aromatherapy in the management of acute post-operative

pain. The concept of aromatherapy will be explored in relation to its

effects on the pain pathways, methods of administration and therapeutic

effects. Specific reference will be made to Lavender (Lavandula

angustifolia) and its use in aromatherapy. A review of the literature

points to gaps in the knowledge related to the clinical application of

aromatherapy in relation to issues of dosage, methods of administration

and therapeutic effects. The relatively small number of studies that have

looked at aromatherapy in the acute care setting supports the literature

reviewed. Issues such as small sample sizes and the difficulty in

replicating these studies make it difficult to generalize the findings. In

order to achieve best practice, further research is necessary to explore

the use of aromatherapy in the management of acute post-operative pain.

68. The role of aromatherapy in nursing care. - MED 01-08 21241052 (return to list)

Buckle, J.

JOURNAL NAME- Nurs Clin North Am VOL. 36 2001 Mar PP. 57-72

DOCUMENT TYPE- Journal Article JOURNAL CODE- O92; 0042033 JOURNAL

SUBSET- MEDJSAIM; MEDJSIM ISSN- 0029-6465 CORPORATE AUTHOR-

Department of Botanical Medicine and Psychology, Bastyr University,

Seattle, Washington. rjbinfo@aol.com PUBLICATION COUNTRY- United States

LANGUAGE- English

Aromatherapy is the fastest growing of all complementary therapies among

nurses in the United States. Although aromatherapy has been used by the

public for recreation for thousands of years and by nurses throughout the

world during the last 15 years, it is only in the last few years that

aromatherapy has become recognized by US State Boards of Nursing as a