Study Design:
Randomized Control trial( RCT)
Study population:
Patients undergoing laparotomy under general anesthesia
Setting:
This study will be carried out at the Institute of Nursing, University of Health Sciences
Lahore in collaboration with DHQ Sheikhupura Punjab, Pakistan. This hospital offers 24/7
services in emergency, medicine, surgery, gynecology and pediatrics etc.
Sample Size:
The sample size for each group is 35 and total is 70.
Sampling Technique and Randomization:
A non-probability convenience sampling approach will be utilized for patient enrollment.
patients will be randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group through
computer-generated table numbers.
Data Collection Procedure and Method of Intervention; Upon receiving approval from the
Institutional Review Board of the University of Health Sciences Lahore, formal
authorization will be sought from DHQ. Eligible participants will be identified and
selected in accordance with predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. After
explaining the study purpose, the researcher will obtain informed written consent before
their surgical procedure. Upon patients' arrival to the HDU following their laparotomy,
those who present complaints of postoperative nausea and vomiting will be subject to
randomization into either the intervention or control group. This randomization will be
executed using computer-generated table numbers. First, the researcher will gather
pertinent demographic information from the enrolled participants.
Adequate guarantees of confidentiality shall be extended to all participants.
Method of Intervention:
After deciding the participant of intervention group the intervention will be started if
NRS score is > 1 for nausea and with the 1st episode of vomiting.
The researcher will soak a 4×4 cm sterile gauze pad with 0.2 ml equivalent to 2 drops of
10% Lavender essential oil and will suspended the soaked gauze at a distance of 10cm from
the patient's nose with the help of forcep, and he or she will have asked to inhale its
scent for 5 min. 15 and 40 minutes after the beginning of the aromatherapy treatment, the
researcher will measure the nausea and vomiting scores by using the standardized tool.
During this entire 40 minutes the researcher will strictly monitor the participant's
condition. If the nausea score will be still higher than 1 or vomiting persists the
participants will be noted as failure of treatment and move to standard care and the
control group received standard care against the complaint of nausea and vomiting.