thesia, which is very toxic to the body. Further, patients are often
very nervous on the day of surgery and therefore don't breathe
evenly. On top of all of it, their livers and kidneys are already over-
loaded with toxic substances and pollutants that make it difficult
for the body to rid anesthesia.
Many of these oils have multiple benefits. Lavender oil, in addition
to being effective for nausea, can induce relaxation or help with
headaches when applied to the bottom of the feet.
A quick-and-dirty tip is to simply have patients sniff an alcohol
swab. That's very effective for PONV. Several alcohol-based aro-
matherapy products have been introduced in recent years, including
patches that attach to patients' gowns, inhaler tubes, or self-adhesive
strips that stick to patients' shirts.
Satisfying solutions
These simple-yet-effective natural alternative treatments can go a long
way to preventing PONV by themselves or buoying traditional phar-
maceutical treatments. They can minimize the extended patient stays
in the PACU that aren't good for your facility's workflow and don't
bode well for satisfaction scores that follow. Feeling sick after a pro-
cedure often sticks in patients' minds more than the professional care
and positive clinical outcomes that preceded it. While PONV is out of
your control, managing the condition effectively will ensure patients
won't leave your facility with a bitter taste in their mouths.
OSM
Ms. Corley (mojokoko@verizon.net) is a licensed acupuncture therapist
with her own practice, Pathways to Health Wellness Center, and has worked
in several critical-care units during her 36-year career as a nurse.
M A Y 2 0 2 0 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 7 7
