BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Patients undergoing hemodialysis are exposed to pain due to the needle insertion to access the blood circulation in their each reference. Since hemodialysis is essential to survive, it is necessary to pay more attention to the patients, especially in their pain management. Today, the therapeutic methods of complementary medicine such as aromatherapy have a wide range of clinical application to control the pain. This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of inhalation of Lavender on pain intensity during the insertion of vascular needles in the body of hemodialysis patients. 

METHODS: This study was a clinical trial which conducted on 34 hemodialysis patients in Dialysis Ward in a hospital in Semnan University of Medical Sciences. In this study, pain intensity during arterial needle insertion near the arteriovenous fistula in all samples was measured and compared by following the routine care method for once and once again following inhalation of Lavender method. Pain intensity was measured by numeric rating scale (IRCT:201303076342N3).

FINDINGS: The mean of pain intensity resulted from the insertion of arterial needle was 4/59±2/02 in following routine method and 2/53±1/48 in following inhalation of Lavender. Statistical test showed a significant difference between mean pain intensity in two methods (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION: Results of this study showed that inhalation of Lavender was effective in reducing the pain intensity during insertion of vascular needles. Therefore, it is recommended to use Lavender for reducing the pain of these patients before the insertion of hemodialysis vascular needles.