The Effect of Aromatherapy Massage on Pain, Anxiety and Comfort

Effect of Aromatherapy Massage Applıed to Intensıve Care Patıents on Physıologıcal Parameters, Paın, Anxıety and Intensıve Care Comfort

Patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) experience physical and psychological discomfort, including pain. Anxiety is a condition frequently encountered in the ICU. The hospital environment, especially the ICU, is reported as a significant cause of anxiety for patients. Comfort is a holistic, subjective and multidimensional concept that is affected by physical, environmental, social and psycho-spiritual contexts and changes over time and space. Comfort in intensive care is often associated with pain relief and end-of-life care. Assessment tools have been developed to measure patient comfort in the ICU, including levels of pain, delirium, and sedation. This work; Patients who are monitored in intensive care under high-flow and oxygen are treated with a mixture of lavender, thyme and eucalyptus oil (20 ml; lavender oil 5 drops, thyme oil 4 drops, eucalyptus oil 3 drops and 20 ml almond oil) twice a day for three days. This study was conducted to determine the effect of aromatherapy massage applied for a total of 30 minutes on some physiological parameters, pain, anxiety and intensive care comfort of the patients.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 years of age and over,
• Conscious patients,
• Staying in intensive care for 24 hours or more,
• Those with stable hemodynamic status,
• Receiving O2 therapy,
• Intubated patients, patients who have passed 24 hours after being extubated,
• Those whose saturation level is 85 and above

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with peripheral neuropathy or quadriplegia,
• Patients with open wounds on their body,
• Patients receiving analgesia and sedation infusion,
• Patients who are sedated,
• Patients in delirium,
• Patients with an allergy detected before starting the application,
• Patients with a GKS (Glasgow Coma Scale) score of 3 and below