The effectiveness of combining lemon aromatherapy with a digital prayer bead distraction in reducing pain in post-cesarean section patients at RSI Fatimah Cilacap

Abstract

Background: Cesarean section (CS) is a major obstetric surgical procedure that carries a risk of postoperative pain, which can impair comfort and mobility and slow recovery. A potential nonpharmacological intervention is a combination of lemon aromatherapy and digital rosary distraction. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of this combination in reducing pain in patients following a cesarean section.

Method: A quantitative study using a quasi-experimental pre-test post-test design with a control group. A sample of 40 respondents was divided into an intervention group (n=20), which received a combination of lemon aromatherapy and digital prayer bead distraction, and a control group (n=20), which received only digital prayer bead distraction, using consecutive sampling. The intervention was administered for 15 minutes during the first 24 hours post-surgery. Pain was measured using the NRS. Data analysis utilized the paired t-test, Wilcoxon test, and Mann–Whitney U test.

Results: There was a significant reduction in pain levels before and after the intervention in both groups (p<0.05). The mean pain score in the intervention group decreased from 4.40 to 2.90, while in the control group it decreased from 4.85 to 4.25. There was a significant difference between the groups (p=0.011), with a lower median pain score in the intervention group (3) compared to the control group (4).

Conclusion: Both interventions were found to be effective in reducing pain, but the combination of lemon aromatherapy and digital rosary distraction was more effective than digital rosary distraction alone in patients who had undergone cesarean section surgery.