Comparison of the effect of ice sucking containing peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) with cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) extract on nausea, vomiting, and drug request after laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Background

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) are common and distressing complications following laparoscopic cholecystectomy. This study evaluated the efficacy of sublingual peppermint (Mentha piperita L., M. piperita) and cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum, E. cardamomum) extract ice cubes in alleviating these symptoms and reducing the requirement for rescue antiemetics.

Methods

In this triple-blinded randomized controlled trial, 105 patients scheduled for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy were enrolled. Participants were randomly allocated to one of three groups: M. piperita, E. cardamomum, or placebo. Following baseline assessment, the intervention consisted of four sublingual administrations (every 15 min) of a 1-cm ice cube. For the active groups, each ice cube was impregnated with six drops of 10 % essential oil extract. The primary outcome was nausea severity, measured by a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at baseline, 1 hour, and 3 h post-intervention. Secondary outcomes included the frequency of vomiting episodes and requests for antiemetic medication, recorded over a 4-hour postoperative period.

Results

While trends indicated a greater reduction in nausea severity, vomiting frequency, and antiemetic demand in the M. piperita group compared to the E. cardamomum group, the intergroup differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Both intervention groups reported improved outcomes over the placebo group.

Conclusions

The sublingual application of M. piperita or E. cardamomum extract ice cubes presents a simple, safe, and effective non-pharmacological adjunct for managing PONV in patients recovering from laparoscopic cholecystectomy.