Effect of inhalation aromatherapy with lavender essential oil on stress and vital signs in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery: A single-blinded randomized clinical trial

• We conducted a single-blinded randomized controlled trial with 60 CABG patients.
• The mean mental stress score decreased after CABG in both groups.
• Inhalation aromatherapy with lavender had no significant effect on mental stress.
• Inhalation aromatherapy with lavender has no significant effects on vital signs.

SummaryObjectivesAt present, aromatherapy is used widely in medical research. This study aimed to investigate the effects of inhalation aromatherapy using lavender essential oil to reduce mental stress and improve the vital signs of patients after coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG).DesignA single-blinded randomized controlled trial was conducted with 60 patients who had undergone CABG in a 2-day intervention that targeted stress reduction.ParticipantsSixty subjects following coronary artery bypass surgery in two aromatherapy and control groups.SettingThe study was conducted in Ekbatan Therapeutic and Educational Center, Hamadan, Iran, in 2013.InterventionsOn the second and third days after surgery, the aromatherapy group patients received two drops of 2% lavender essential oil for 20 min and the control group received two drops of distilled water as a placebo.Main outcome measuresThe primary outcome was mental stress, which was measured before and after the intervention using the DASS-21 questionnaire. The secondary outcomes were vital signs, including the heart rate, respiratory rate, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure, which were measured before and after the intervention.ResultsThe individual characteristics of the aromatherapy and control groups were the same. There were no significant difference in the mean mental stress scores and vital signs of the aromatherapy and control groups on the second or third days after surgery.ConclusionInhalation aromatherapy with lavender essential oil had no significant effects on mental stress and vital signs in patients following CABG, except the systolic blood pressure.