Guest guest Posted July 24, 2000 Report Share Posted July 24, 2000 Dear Jean, Greetings. Thank you for your message. Like Vivian Lunny, I too would love to hear about the reported incident you mention. In all the toxocological literature, there is not one case mentioned ever of any anaphylactic shock in regards to essential oil compounds. As well, essential oils have been prescribed as oral medications for many years, especially by the French, again with no reports of this kind. Asthmatics can occasionally react to strong inhaled concentrations of essential oils - as to many compounds - but this is of course an entirely different matter. So, if you can chase this up at all, that would really be appreciated. Best Regards, Ron Guba Essential Therapeutics - Pendlestone <pstone Aromatherapy List Sunday, July 23, 2000 4:44 PM [AX] hospitals > A UK view on the subject of the use of EOs in hospital ........ I am a Nurse, & Aromatherapist, & don't feel that my sense of smell is blocked up with petro-chemicals. However, whilst I would love to use EOs at work many hospitals do not have protocols & guidelines to support or accomodate their use ........ by this I mean things like COSHH assessments & risk management assessments. Some years ago there was a recorded incident where a health worker, working in the vicinity of a patient being massaged with lavender had an anaphylactic reaction to the lavender. The aromatherapist was working independantly, & following this incident the hospital drew up protocols to protect themselves ( I am sure the main aim !!) & their nurses / aromatherapists. I do not think that many hospitals have such protocols, but am encouraged to know that some forward thinking ones do. > Also, whatever may be deemed appropriate for one patient may not be suitable for another in very close proximity ......... or may be too sedating, thus sedating the nurses too ( God forbid !!!). We work in an ethos where the chemicals have had sound COSSH reports & are judged to be 'safe' whereas EOs possibly may not stand up to scrutiny if there were another incident (simply because they have not been approved by hospital governing bodies), & in this kind of scenario, forgive my cynicism, the nurse / aromatherapist would be left to carry the can. > Please don't think I am against the use of EOs in hospital, but I believe it cannot be dabbled with, & must have safeguards inbuilt for the protection of the practitioners. > Having said that, when MY mum was dying, her consultant gave me permission to use aromatherapy ......... reflexology ..... whatever would make her comfy. At the time I only had lavender oil with me which I used & the nurses on the ward all loved it & even other patients & their visitors felt that I had improved the usual aroma of a general medical ward !! > A goal in my life is to get complementary therapies recognised in my hospital trust. I had thought that Clinical Governance may have provided a lever, but at the end of the day finances rule. > It is now the end of my day. A busy night shift & I am off to bed.This is very long, I hope it is not TOO boring ..... & if it sounds pessimistic it isn't meant to ...... just realistic, with a knowledge of how 'the system' treats people especially when something goes wrong !!!! > Very best wishes to you all. I pick up lots of useful tips for my 'other' life (ie aromatherapy not nursing ) Lots of staff come to me for advice & treatment & there is a strong wish amongst nurses to use more natural therapies, & even if they can't at work they will at home. > Jean > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 24, 2000 Report Share Posted July 24, 2000 Hi Jean Thanks for your thoughts (although I couldn't read it all as it went off the page and I missed some of it). I understand your thoughts on the use of eos in hospitals. They are not like scheduled drugs in that every batch will differ, and it's difficult to know exactly where the buck stops. There is a course (offered by Manchester University, I think) for postgraduate nurses, to train them to be nurse/aromatherapists. I can let you know who devised the course if you e-mail me privately. My own experience is only as a lay-person working in the hospice and in laminar flow units at Groote Schuur on leukemia patients. In the latter instance, the professor in charge had worked in the UK and knew how useful aromatherapy can be for such patients, so was keen to allow us in. In both cases, we are very careful about what eos we use, and how many drops, but our experience over the last eight years or so has been that these patients benefit greatly from the limited treatment we can provide (on a voluntary basis at the moment, here). If you go back through copies of the IJA, you will find research projects into using lavender in hospitals, particularly I think with the aged, where it was proved that lavender helps patients sleep, and that they could, under supervision, eventually cut down on their medication for sleep. Again, I can give you the IJA edition privately. Good luck with your hopes to get aromatherapy recognised by the state. Helen in Cape Town Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 25, 2000 Report Share Posted July 25, 2000 Dear Claire...thanks for sharing about the sachets--what a creative way of making them. Receiving your idea with a grateful heart, Linda S. Brewer Claire DuCharme wrote: > > A local hospital has been innovative in using some of > my aromatherapy products with their patients on Psych > ward, onocology and others. They use sachets for > individual use, and do not interfer with other > patients who may be sensitive to the aromas. The > products are for insomnia, nausea, and depression. > They carry them around in their pockets, or pin them > on, or put them by their bedside, or in their pillows. > I make them special, dispossible. They are very easy > to make, by injecting cottonballs with formulas, > wrapping them in round coffee filters, tying with a > ribbon, and placing in a plastic bag, so they can open > and sniff, at their leisure. I have also given > lectures to hospipals and nursing homes on > aromatherapy. So the word has gotten out. The patients > love them, and I think it gives them support with > their individual problems. > > ------ > Find long lost high school friends: > http://click./1/7080/12/_/605187/_/964400802/ > ------ > > ----------------- > **Get Used to Chatting so we can eventually have a 24 hr Aromatherapy Chat Room!!! > Times we can meet: > Saturday and Sunday > 11am + 3pm + 11pm Eastern Time (New York Time) > Monday To Friday > 12 pm + 6pm + 11pm Eastern Time (New York Time) > > For those of you who are not sure of the time difference, call your Operator. > > QUICK TIPS: Send your quick tips to > -owner > > The intention of this list is to provide up-to-date information concerning the safe use of Aromatherapy, and is not intended to replace the advice or attention of the proper health care professionals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 25, 2000 Report Share Posted July 25, 2000 Dear All, Just in case this message was not forwarded to all. No anaphylactic shock ever reported relative to eo's - either ingested, applied to the skin or inhaled. Yes, theory has it that once a compound like cinnamic aldehyde (in Cinnamon oil) binds to skin proteins, this can lead to classical immune system allergic reactions - but not " shock " . Since Jan's report would lead to real concern - although unfounded - it would be really useful to foolow this up and see what it is really all about. Regards, Ron guba - Ron Guba <esstherapeutics Monday, July 24, 2000 3:46 PM Re: [AX] hospitals > Dear Jean, > > Greetings. Thank you for your message. Like Vivian Lunny, I too would love > to hear about the reported incident you mention. In all the toxocological > literature, there is not one case mentioned ever of any anaphylactic shock > in regards to essential oil compounds. As well, essential oils have been > prescribed as oral medications for many years, especially by the French, > again with no reports of this kind. Asthmatics can occasionally react to > strong inhaled concentrations of essential oils - as to many compounds - but > this is of course an entirely different matter. So, if you can chase this up > at all, that would really be appreciated. > > Best Regards, Ron Guba Essential Therapeutics > - > Pendlestone <pstone > Aromatherapy List > Sunday, July 23, 2000 4:44 PM > [AX] hospitals > > > > A UK view on the subject of the use of EOs in hospital ........ I am a > Nurse, & Aromatherapist, & don't feel that my sense of smell is blocked up > with petro-chemicals. However, whilst I would love to use EOs at work many > hospitals do not have protocols & guidelines to support or accomodate their > use ........ by this I mean things like COSHH assessments & risk management > assessments. Some years ago there was a recorded incident where a health > worker, working in the vicinity of a patient being massaged with lavender > had an anaphylactic reaction to the lavender. The aromatherapist was working > independantly, & following this incident the hospital drew up protocols to > protect themselves ( I am sure the main aim !!) & their nurses / > aromatherapists. I do not think that many hospitals have such protocols, but > am encouraged to know that some forward thinking ones do. > > Also, whatever may be deemed appropriate for one patient may not be > suitable for another in very close proximity ......... or may be too > sedating, thus sedating the nurses too ( God forbid !!!). We work in an > ethos where the chemicals have had sound COSSH reports & are judged to be > 'safe' whereas EOs possibly may not stand up to scrutiny if there were > another incident (simply because they have not been approved by hospital > governing bodies), & in this kind of scenario, forgive my cynicism, the > nurse / aromatherapist would be left to carry the can. > > Please don't think I am against the use of EOs in hospital, but I believe > it cannot be dabbled with, & must have safeguards inbuilt for the protection > of the practitioners. > > Having said that, when MY mum was dying, her consultant gave me permission > to use aromatherapy ......... reflexology ..... whatever would make her > comfy. At the time I only had lavender oil with me which I used & the nurses > on the ward all loved it & even other patients & their visitors felt that I > had improved the usual aroma of a general medical ward !! > > A goal in my life is to get complementary therapies recognised in my > hospital trust. I had thought that Clinical Governance may have provided a > lever, but at the end of the day finances rule. > > It is now the end of my day. A busy night shift & I am off to bed.This is > very long, I hope it is not TOO boring ..... & if it sounds pessimistic it > isn't meant to ...... just realistic, with a knowledge of how 'the system' > treats people especially when something goes wrong !!!! > > Very best wishes to you all. I pick up lots of useful tips for my 'other' > life (ie aromatherapy not nursing ) Lots of staff come to me for advice & > treatment & there is a strong wish amongst nurses to use more natural > therapies, & even if they can't at work they will at home. > > Jean > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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