ABSTRACT
To determine the impact of Healing Touch on vital signs, adult intensive care unit patients were recruited from multiple hospital sites. Both pain and agitation improved and there was a significant change in hemodynamics that reflected a calming effect. Healing Touch may be considered a respected addition to symptom management.
Subject(s)
Critical Care/standards , Therapeutic Touch/standards , Vital Signs/physiology , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Cohort Studies , Critical Care/methods , Critical Care/psychology , Female , Humans , Intensive Care Units/organization & administration , Intensive Care Units/statistics & numerical data , Male , Middle Aged , Pilot Projects , Therapeutic Touch/methods , Therapeutic Touch/statistics & numerical dataABSTRACT
The purpose of the study was to determine the impact of aromatherapy intervention on pain and anxiety. The hypothesis was that the use of aromatherapy will improve pain and anxiety scores when assessed within 30 to 60 minutes of administration. The study design was a prospective comparison of aromatherapy using a pre-/postdesign study. A convenience sample of patients was recruited from both a medical unit and a telemetry unit with patients aged 18+ years from a 182-bed acute care Magnet community hospital. Pain and anxiety levels were assessed prior to administration of a medication, within 60 minutes of receiving pain medication, and within 60 minutes of receiving aromatherapy. Ninety-six percent of the participants would use aromatherapy if offered again, would use it in the future, and would recommend its use to family and friends. Both pain and anxiety improved after the aromatherapy with a P value of <.0001. This pilot study demonstrated that aromatherapy is safe and effective at reducing pain and anxiety and should be considered as a valuable adjunct to symptom management.
Subject(s)
Anxiety/therapy , Aromatherapy/standards , Pain Management/standards , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Anxiety/psychology , Aromatherapy/psychology , Female , Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Pain/psychology , Pain Management/methods , Pain Measurement/methods , Pilot Projects , Plant Oils/therapeutic use , Prospective StudiesABSTRACT
Are deaths that occur in critical care expected or unexpected? The objective was to illustrate the incidence of deaths in adult critical care units. We also wanted to discover if our patient population fit the norm of those who die in these units in the United States. Are the patients with many comorbid conditions? Could they benefit from advance care planning? A prospective chart review was completed on all deaths that occurred in our 5 critical care units. Most deaths (76.6%) were expected. Patients had an average of 3.3 comorbidities. Greater public knowledge about advance care planning is needed and must include education about the full range of options in end-of-life care.
