The Effect of Ginger and Mint On Postoperative Nausea And Vomiting In Patients Undergoing Total Thyroidectomy

• Published in: Journal of perianesthesia nursing
• Main Authors: Pashaei, Sona, Akyüz, Nuray, Ersoy, Yeliz emine
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 26.08.2025
• Subjects: Nursing; Phytotherapy; Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting; Thyroidectomy; Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting; Nursing; Phytotherapy; Thyroidectomy; thyroidectomy; nursing; phytotherapy; postoperative nausea and vomiting
• ISSN: 1089-9472; 1532-8473; 1532-8473
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jopan.2025.02.004

PONV are a group of symptoms that develop in patients within 24 hours after surgical intervention and are undesirable outcomes that complicate patients’ postoperative recovery. The purpose of research described in the article was to establish the impact of ginger and peppermint essential oil inhalation for PONV in patients who underwent total thyroidectomy. Our study was designed as a randomized controlled experimental study. Participants consisted of patients who underwent thyroidectomy surgery at Bezmialem Vakif University General Surgery Clinic between February 2021 and August 2022. The subjects were first divided randomly into three groups: a ginger group, a peppermint group, and a routine treatment and care group. Patients’ severity and number of pain, nausea, vomiting were measured at 2, 6 and 24 hours. Patients’ outcome was assessed by the Visual Analog Scale and Rhodes Nausea and Vomiting Index. Significantly lower pain and nausea severity was found in the ginger group compared to the control group. Similarly, the peppermint group also showed significantly lower pain and nausea severity compared to the control group. Rhodes 1 item score was 0.48±0.51 in the ginger group, 1.11±0.64 in the peppermint group, and 1.37±0.49 in the control group (p<0.001). These findings suggest that both ginger and peppermint essential oils are effective in alleviating postoperative nausea and vomiting symptoms, with each group showing significant improvement compared to the control group. The impact of ginger and mint on the common symptom of PONV was evaluated in this study among patients who underwent thyroidectomy surgery. In comparing the results from their study with the control group, the authors noted that patients in the mint and ginger groups experienced lesser severity in postoperative pain, nausea, and vomiting, and required less antiemetic. From the above conclusions one can deduce that ginger and mint might have a positive effect if used to reduce Postoperative Recovery Quality. This nursing intervention is advised to be applied in the clinic to prevent and minimize the PONV occurrence and is made of ginger and mint.