Sniffing scents may ease hospital stress, small study suggests
NCT ID NCT06400979
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study tested whether aromatherapy can reduce pain, anxiety, and nausea in adults staying in an acute care hospital unit. 94 patients used an aromatherapy tab that releases a scent to inhale. Researchers measured changes in their symptoms and satisfaction. The goal is to see if this simple, drug-free approach can improve comfort during a hospital stay.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Elequil aromatab (aromatherapy device)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simple, drug-free way to help hospitalized adults feel less pain, anxiety, and nausea.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed study with only 94 participants. Aromatherapy effects can be subjective, and results may not apply to all hospital settings.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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94 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Dec 2020
- Finished
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May 2022
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 18 years or older, * Admission to Tower 4 for an anticipated inpatient stay \>24 hours, * Alert and oriented, * Capable of using a visual scale to self-report symptoms, * Naïve to the use of aromatherapy for the use of decreasing pain, anxiety and/or nausea to participate, * Not on a pediatric service. Exclusion Criteria: * Cognitively impaired, * Post-op from an otolaryngologic surgery (another study was being conducted concurrently with this patient population and we did not want to interfere with those results), * Known impaired olfactory function (limited or no sense of smell), * On any psychiatric holds (e.g., 5150's), * Known allergies to essential oils, * Sensitive or allergic to plants (specifically to lavender plants, orange blossoms, sandalwood trees, or peppermint leaves) as essential oils are natural aromas derived from plants, * Active participant of another Research Protocol, * Admitted as a "short stay" or on "observation" status, * Have a known history of Atrial Fibrillation. The use of peppermint has known effects on stimulating atrial fibrillation, * Is a prisoner, * Known pregnancy, or * Expected to be transferred out of Tower 4 and/or discharged from the hospital within twenty-four hours.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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UC Davis Medical Center
Sacramento, California, 95817, United States