Aromatherapy Massage vs. Foot Reflexology on the Severity of Restless Legs Syndrome in Female Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis

This study aimed to compare the effects of reflexology and aromatherapy massage on the severity of restless legs syndrome (RLS) in 105 female patients undergoing hemodialysis. A randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted in a hemodialysis center with 48 beds in a high turnover hospital in an urban area of Iran. Intervention groups received reflexology (n = 35) and aromatherapy massage using lavender essential oil (n = 35) for 24 sessions, and the placebo group (n = 35) received simple foot massage. The restless legs syndrome rating scale was used to assess RLS severity in the groups before the intervention and after 4 and 8 weeks of the interventions. Results obtained by the mixed model analysis 3 * 3 (3 groups * 3 times) revealed the significant effect of time, group, and the time–group interrelationship (p = 0.001). Aromatherapy massage reduced the RLS severity, but reflexology did not appear to cause any significant reduction in it. Therefore, we suggest that aromatherapy massage be incorporated into routine care for relieving the ailment and suffering of patients undergoing hemodialysis

Effectiveness of Community Pharmacy Diabetes and Hypertension Care Program: An Unexplored Opportunity for Community Pharmacists in Pakistan

Background: The effective management of patients diagnosed with both Diabetes as well as Hypertension is linked with administration of efficacious pharmacological therapy as well as improvement in adherence through counseling and other strategies. Being a part of primary healthcare team, community pharmacists can effectively provide patient care for chronic disease management. The objective of the study was to evaluate the impact of pharmacist counseling on blood pressure and blood glucose control among patients having both hypertension and diabetes attending community pharmacies in Pakistan.Method: A randomized, controlled, single-blind, pre-post-intervention study design was used. The respondents included patients diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (Type I or II) and hypertension visiting community pharmacies to purchase their regular medicine. A simple random sampling technique using the lottery method was used to select community pharmacies in groups A (intervention, n = 4) and group B (control, n = 4). The total number of patients was 40 in each group, while estimating a dropout rate of 25%. The patients in the intervention group received special counseling. Blood pressure and blood glucose were checked after every 15 days for 6 months. Prevalidated tools such as the hypertension knowledge level scale, the diabetes knowledge questionnaire 24, and a brief medication questionnaire was used. Data were coded and analyzed using SPSS 21. Wilcoxon test (p < 0.05) was used to compare pre-post intervention knowledge regarding the disease, while the Mann-Whitney test (p < 0.05) was used to find differences in medication adherence among control and intervention groups.Results: A significant improvement in mean knowledge scores of patients with diabetes (16.02 ±2.93 vs. 19.97 ±2.66) and hypertension (15.60 ±3.33 vs. 18.35 ±2.31) in the intervention group receiving counseling for 6 months than control group (p < 0.05) was noted. Furthermore, the fasting blood glucose levels (8.25 ±1.45) and systolic BP (130.10 ±6.89) were significantly controlled after 6 months in the intervention group.Conclusion: The current study results concluded that community pharmacists’ counselling has a positive impact on blood glucose and blood pressure management among patients suffering with both diabetes and hypertension

Health-Related Quality of Life in Prostate Cancer Survivors: Implications for Nursing Care

Background: The quality of life of prostate cancer survivors is influenced by various personal and disease-relatedfactors including age and time passed from cancer diagnosis. Identification of these factors can have implications for improving nursing care strategies during recovery from cancer. Also, there is a lack of knowledge of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among Iranian prostate cancer (PCa) survivors.Objective: This study aimed to describe HRQoL among Iranian PCa survivors and compare it with age at cancerdiagnosis and time passed from it.Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 186 PCa survivors at the radiotherapy department of alarge referral teaching hospital in an urban area of Iran. The demographic characteristics form, EORTC QLQ-C30,and EORTC QLQ - PR25 questionnaires were used to gather data. Descriptive and inferential statistics were usedfor data analysis via SPSS.Results: The cancer survivors with older age at cancer diagnosis had significantly lower physical (p = 0.001) andsexual function (p = 009), and higher social function (p = 0.03), fatigue (p = 0.02), dyspnea (p = 0.008), urinary (p =0.007) symptoms and financial difficulties (p = 0.03). Also, statistically significant differences between time passedfrom cancer diagnosis and physical function (p = 0.03), urinary (p = 0.001) and bowel (p = 0.02) symptoms andurinary aid problems (p = 0.006) were reported.Conclusions: Nurses need to pay more attention to age at cancer diagnosis and time passed from it among PCasurvivors during follow-up care programs in order to improve their HRQoL

Reflexology versus Aromatherapy Massage for Relieving Anxiety and Depression in Hospitalized Older Women: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: One of the most common issues among older patients is anxiety and depression during hospitalization.Non-pharmacological methods can relieve anxiety and depression in older people, but comparison of the effects of various complementary methods needs further studies.Aim: This study aimed to compare the effects of reflexology and aromatherapy massage on anxiety and depression in older women hospitalized in the cardiac care unit.Methodology: In this randomized clinical trial, older women were randomly assigned to three groups as reflexology, aromatherapy massage, and control (n=45 in each group). The hospital anxiety and depression scale was used to assess anxiety and depression before and immediately after the interventions, and collected data was analysed using descriptive andinferential statistics.Results: It was found that anxiety and depression significantly reduced after the interventions in both intervention groups (p=0.001). However, reflexology had a better effect on the reduction of anxiety and depression in the older women.Conclusions: While both reflexology and aromatherapy massage had positive effects on anxiety and depression, reflexology was more effective in alleviating psychological symptoms in older women hospitalized in the cardiac care unit