Gastroenterology nursing : the official journal of the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates
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Patients with obstructive sleep apnea are at risk of mortality and morbidity related to the administration of sedatives, anesthetics, and opioids. Commonly employed sedatives and analgesics promote pharyngeal collapse and alter normal respiratory responses to obstruction and apnea. ⋯ The purpose of this article is to provide the reader with a review of normal airway patency, the effects of obstructive sleep apnea on airway patency, and the impact that analgesics and sedatives may impart on the airway of patients with obstructive sleep apnea. The goal of this article is to increase awareness, stimulate discussions within the gastroenterological community, and encourage research regarding sedation in this at-risk population.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Aromatherapy and reducing preprocedural anxiety: A controlled prospective study.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of aromatherapy to reduce anxiety prior to a scheduled colonoscopy or esophagogastroduodenoscopy. A controlled, prospective study was done on a convenience sample of 118 patients. The "state" component of the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was used to evaluate patients' anxiety levels pre- and postaromatherapy. ⋯ There was no statistical difference in state anxiety levels between pre- and postlavender inhalation in the experimental group (t[120] = .73, p = .47). Although this study did not show aromatherapy to be effective based on statistical analysis, patients did generally report the lavender scent to be pleasant. Lavender is an inexpensive and popular technique for relaxation that can be offered to patients as an opportunity to promote preprocedural stress reduction in a hospital setting.