The Use of Aromatherapy for the Treatment of Post-Operative Nausea Vomiting

Post-operative nausea vomiting (PONV) is one of the most common complications after surgery and a significant cause of dissatisfaction among post-operative patients. Traditional first line treatment of PONV with antiemetic medications can cause severe side effects and can have compounding interactions with other medications. Aromatherapy has been increasing in popularity for the treatment of PONV due to its safety, absence of drug interaction and side effects, and rapid onset due to ease of administration and patient driven treatment. This study looks at a trial of QueaseEASE, an aromatherapy product for PONV, at a hospital in the Pacific Northwest. Overall initial findings suggest high patient satisfaction of treatment with QueaseEASE. Preliminarily, the trial shows a reduction in the use of antiemetic medications, however, more data is needed to show statistical significance