The effects of aromatherapy with lavender essential oil on fatigue levels in haemodialysis patients: A randomized clinical trial

Abstract

Objective: This study was intended to examine the efficacy of lavender essential oil for the alleviation of fatigue in haemodialysis patients.

Methods and materials: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 59 haemodialysis patients in two groups. The routine care group received the routine care, but the experimental group inhaled lavender essence 5% for 10 min, three times a week for 4 consecutive weeks. The Fatigue Severity Scale was used to assess fatigue before the intervention and after the last intervention in the second and fourth weeks.

Results: No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of the fatigue scores before, and after the last intervention in the second and fourth weeks.

Conclusion: Our result does not support other studies suggesting that lavender essential oil is effective on fatigue in haemodialysis patients. This conflicting result can mostly be ascribed to a variety of factors such as duration of aromatherapy and differences in concentrations of lavender essential oil.

Keywords: Aromatherapy; Fatigue; Fatigue Severity Scale; Haemodialysis; Lavender essential oil.