Effect of Lavender Aromatherapy on Post-Operative Nausea and Vomiting Among Laparotomy Patients at DHQ Sheikhupura Punjab, Pakistan

Post-operative nausea and vomiting are critical problems that occur commonly after the administration of general anesthesia, which can lead to serious health complications such as hemorrhage, electrolyte imbalance and ultimate shock. To prevent these complications, antiemetic drugs are often administered, but they can cause side effects as well as increased healthcare costs. As concerns regarding the side effects of antiemetic drugs have grown, there has been an increased interest in using non-pharmacologic interventions, such as aromatherapy, as an alternative approach to preventing post-operative nausea and vomiting. It involves the therapeutic use of essential oils, and lavender essential oil, in particular, is commonly used for various digestive problems including nausea, and vomiting. Therefore, a key question for a health care professional is how to prevent post-operative nausea and vomiting in best possible manner? To address this question, a study will be conducted in District Head Quarter Sheikhupura, aiming to evaluate the effectiveness of lavender essential oil aromatherapy in reducing post-operative nausea and vomiting among patients admitted for laparotomy under general anesthesia. This study will be a Randomized control trial with the study population consisting of admitted patients after laparotomy under general anesthesia. The sample size will be 70, who will be divided into two groups, each consisting of 35 participants. A convenience sampling technique will be employed for the recruitment of participants. After that, the participants will be randomized into control and intervention groups by computer-generated table numbers in accordance with the inclusion criteria that is, 18-65 age, both genders, laparotomy under general anesthesia, clinically stable, and susceptive to post-op nausea and vomiting within 24hrs following the surgery. whereas, the patients with respiratory diseases, allergies, infections, reversal laparotomy within short duration, having any kind of addiction, those who move to the intensive care unit, those with a history of motion sickness, history of pre-op nausea and vomiting and those who start oral or NG feed before 24hrs will not be part of this study. The data will be analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 22.