Impact of Inhalation Aromatherapy with Damask Rose on Anxiety of Patients Undergoing Coronary Angiography: A Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Coronary artery angiography is a common diagnostic procedure in cardiovascular diseases which could cause fear, stress, anxiety and probably some instability at hemodynamic parameters in the patients before this diagnostic procedure. This study aimed to assess impact of inhalation aromatherapy with damask rose on anxiety of patients undergoing coronary angiography.

A single-blinded randomized controlled trial was conducted with 98 patients at aromatherapy and control group undergoing coronary angiography in the Besat educational hospital of Hamadan, Iran, in 2017. Patients inhaled 5 drops of 40% Rosa Damask essential oil for 20 minutes before the angiography at aromatherapy group and inhaled 5 drops of distilled water for 20 min before the angiography at the control group. Anxiety was measured before and 2 minutes after intervention by state section of state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI) questionnaire. Data were analyzed by SPSS 16 using independent t-test and paired t-test.

There was no significant difference between mean of patient’s anxiety at aromatherapy and control group before intervention. There was significant difference between mean of patient’s anxiety before and after intervention at the aromatherapy group (P<0.001) which could decrease mean of patient’s anxiety. In contrast, there was no significant difference between mean of patient’s anxiety before and after intervention at control group (P=0.067). 

Inhalation aromatherapy with Rosa damask essential oil 40% could have a good impact on decreasing anxiety at patients undergoing coronary angiography. Rosa damask essential oil 40% can be used as a complementary therapy to reduce anxiety in patients prior to coronary angiography.