Evaluation of Isopropyl Alcohol Aromatherapy in Treating Nausea in Helicopter Emergency Medical Services Patients. Air Med J 2024;43(6):518-522
Date
12/05/2024Pubmed ID
39632031DOI
10.1016/j.amj.2024.08.004Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85203804807 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) aromatherapy provides rapid relief of nausea at minimal cost, is universally available, and has no known significant adverse effects. These attributes make it ideal for the prehospital setting. However, there is no published research on the use of IPA in critical care transport (CCT). The objective of this study was to investigate if CCT patients experience improvement of nausea with IPA aromatherapy.
METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed over a 2-year period on adult patients served by a Midwest CCT system that provides both air and ground transport. Data were obtained 1 year before and 1 year after a protocol change in which the first-line antiemetic was changed from intravenous ondansetron (prechange) to inhaled IPA (postchange). The IPA was administered by placing a pad under the patient's nares as they inhaled. The proportion of nausea improvement was compared between the prechange and postchange periods.
RESULTS: Two hundred seventeen records were included. In helicopter emergency medical services, 33 of 50 (66.0%) patients reported improvement with ondansetron, and 13 of 21 (61.9%) reported improvement with IPA (P = .742). Patients transported by ground emergency medical services showed improvement in 65 of 73 (89.0%) cases for ondansetron and 40 of 73 (54.8%) for IPA (P < .001).
CONCLUSION: There was no difference in the proportion of nausea improvement between ondansetron and IPA in helicopter emergency medical services patients. In ground emergency medical services patients, more patients had nausea improvement with ondansetron compared with IPA. This study suggests IPA may be a faster, more efficacious alternative for nausea relief in CCT patients.
Author List
Koenig D, Young KP, Treat R, Liu JM, Lenz TAuthors
Jason M. Liu MD Professor in the Emergency Medicine department at Medical College of WisconsinRobert W. Treat PhD Associate Professor in the Academic Affairs department at Medical College of Wisconsin
MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
2-PropanolAdministration, Inhalation
Administration, Intravenous
Adult
Aged
Air Ambulances
Antiemetics
Aromatherapy
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Nausea
Ondansetron
Retrospective Studies
Treatment Outcome
