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

OBJECTIVE

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

METHODS

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.

CONCLUSIONS

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.