Evaluating the efficacy of lavender aromatherapy on peripheral venous cannulation pain and anxiety: A prospective, randomized study.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of lavender aromatherapy on pain, anxiety, and level of satisfaction associated with the peripheral venous cannulation (PVC) in patients undergoing surgery.

METHOD: One hundred and six patients undergoing surgery were randomized to receive aromatherapy with lavender essential oil (the lavender group) or a placebo (the control group) during PVC. The patients' pain, anxiety, and satisfaction scores were measured.

RESULTS: There was no statistically significantly difference between the groups in terms of demographic data. After cannulation, the pain and anxiety scores (anxiety 2) of the patients in the lavender group were significantly lower than the control group (for p = 0.01 for pain scores; p < 0.001 for anxiety 2 scores). In addition, patient satisfaction was significantly higher in the lavender group than in the control group (p = 0.003).

CONCLUSION: Lavender aromatherapy had beneficial effects on PVC pain, anxiety, and satisfaction level of patients undergoing surgery.