The Preliminary Effects of Massage and Inhalation Aromatherapy on Chemotherapy-Induced Acute Nausea and Vomiting: A Quasi-Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial

Background: Despite pharmacological treatment, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) are observed in patients. Objective: This quasi-randomized controlled pilot study evaluated the feasibility and preliminary effects of massage and inhalation aromatherapies on chemotherapy-induced acute nausea/vomiting. Methods: Seventy-five patients with breast cancer were randomly grouped into 1 of 3 groups: massage (n = 25), inhalation (n = 25), and control (n = 25). The patients in the massage group received 20-minute aromatherapy foot massage, whereas those in the inhalation group received 3-minute inhalation aromatherapy before their second, third, and fourth chemotherapy cycles. The control group underwent only the routine treatment. A nausea, vomiting, and retching patient follow-up form was used to evaluate nausea severity by visual analog scale and frequency of vomiting and retching. Results: The incidence of nausea and retching was significantly higher in the control group than in the other groups in the third and fourth chemotherapy cycles (P
Source: Cancer Nursing - Category: Nursing Tags: Articles Source Type: research