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Effect of peppermint inhalation versus Swedish massage on chemotherapy induced-nausea and vomiting in children with leukemia: Multi-arm randomised trial design.

  • 2024-03-22
  • Journal of pediatric nursing 77
    • Eman Arafa Badr
    • Hawaa Mohamed Abdalla
    • Yousr Abd-Elsalam Gaafer
    • Maha Youssef Kamel

Study Design

Type
Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)
Sample size
n = 25
Population
Seventy-five children with leukemia
Methods
Multi-arm randomised trial with three parallel groups (control, peppermint inhalation, Swedish massage), each group 25 children, assessed before chemotherapy and for three days after each of three consecutive sessions
Funding
Unclear

Background

Chemotherapy is the foremost treatment for children with leukemia, while causing different serious side-effects. Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting are the most common deliberating side effects and critical concerns of pediatric oncology nurses among those children.

Aim

To investigate the effect of peppermint inhalation versus Swedish massage on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in children with leukemia.

Design

A multi-arm randomised trial design with three parallel groups.

Setting

This study was conducted at outpatient and inpatient Hematology/leukemia Units at Alexandria University Children's Hospital at Smouha.

Methods

Seventy-five children with leukemia received the first chemotherapy session. They were randomly allocated into three equal groups, 25 children in each group (control, peppermint inhalation, and Swedish massage groups). Every child is assessed for nausea and vomiting before chemotherapy administration and after for three days for consecutive three sessions of treatment.

Results

Study findings revealed that children in peppermint inhalation and Swedish massage groups showed significant reduction in mean total score of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting among peppermint inhalation and Swedish groups (15.120 ± 4.585 and 14.680 ± 3.158, respectively) was observed on third chemotherapy session than in control group (45.680 ± 5.793) (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

It can be concluded that Swedish massage and peppermint inhalation therapies may have significant antiemetic effects as alleviating the chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting for children with leukemia.

Practice implications

This study directs the pediatric oncology nurses to incorporate peppermint inhalation and Swedish massage therapies besides antiemetic drugs in pediatric oncology unit protocols for management of chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting.

Research Insights

  • Peppermint→Reduced Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting

    children in peppermint inhalation and Swedish massage groups showed significant reduction in mean total score of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting among peppermint inhalation and Swedish groups (15.120 ± 4.585 and 14.680 ± 3.158, respectively) was observed on third chemotherapy session than in control group (45.680 ± 5.793) (p < 0.001).

    Effect
    Beneficial
    Effect size
    Large
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