Melaleuca armillaris essential oil as an odor reducer in intestinal ostomy bags: a semi-experimental study*

Abstract

Objective: Evaluate the effect of essential oil in odor reduction for intestinal ostomy bags. Method: Primary study, semi-experimental, prospective clinical trial with quantitative approach. A product prepared with Melaleuca armillaris leaves was tested in ostomy pouches, with and without effluents, for adhesion and odor control. Instrument: Labeled Magnitude Scale. Results: Colostomized participants, with a mean age of 73 ± 14.94, predominantly males; and informal caregivers, with a mean age of 44 ± 8.98, predominantly females. In the visual evaluation of the oil, 100% of the participants perceived its adherence. Regarding the evaluation of effluent odor by the colostomized, five reported “strong odor” before oil use and, six reported “weak” odor after use (p = 0.005). Five informal caregivers reported “very strong” effluent odor before oil use; and one reported “weak” and nine reported “moderate” after use (p = 0.0025). Conclusion: There was a reduction in the odor of effluents in the ostomy pouches with the essential oil of Melaleuca armillaris at 10%. Application for patent registration in the Brazilian National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) under no. BR 10 2020 026987 9.