Abstract
Background. Patients undergoing open-heart surgery experience significant anxiety due to invasive nature of the procedure. Aromatherapy with herbal essential oils such as valerian and lemon balm has been recognized as an effective complementary intervention because of its sedative and anti-anxiety properties. The present study aimed to compare the effects of aromatherapy with valerian and lemon balm on anxiety in patients undergoing open-heart surgery.
Methods. This clinical trial was conducted on 92 patients who were candidates for open-heart surgery and referred to Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. The patients were randomly assigned to three groups: control, valerian aromatherapy, and lemon balm aromatherapy. Two intervention groups were subjected to aromatherapy for 10 minutes with gauze impregnated with 20 drops of valerian or lemon balm herbal distillate in the evening before surgery, as well as in the morning and evening of the first and second postoperative days, and in the morning of the third postoperative day. In the control group, gauze impregnated with distilled water was used. The Spielberger Anxiety Questionnaire was completed before the intervention and again after aromatherapy on the third day. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 16). Repeated measure analysis of variance and paired t-tests were used to compare variables between or within groups.
Results. The mean and standard deviation of the patients' age was 58.66±9.47 years. The mean and standard deviation of postoperative anxiety scores were 39.33±4.81, 38.80±5.11, and 44.45±4.92 in the aromatherapy group with valerian, lemon balm, and the control group, respectively. Aromatherapy with valerian and lemon balm significantly reduced anxiety in patients undergoing open-heart surgery (P<0.001); however, no significant difference was observed between the two aromatherapy groups (P< 0.05).
Conclusion. Aromatherapy with valerian and lemon balm, as a non-invasive and complementary intervention, can help reduce anxiety in patients after open-heart surgery.
Practical Implications. It appears that there is no significant difference between the effects of valerian or lemon balm aromatherapy on anxiety after open-heart surgery.