Effect of Topical Sesame Oil on the Severity of Phlebitis and Pain among Critically Ill Patients

Background: Critically ill patients often require peripheral intravenous (IV) catheters (PICs), risking phlebitis. Complementary preventive interventions could potentially mitigate inflammation and associated complications. Purpose: To assess the effect of topical sesame oil (SO) on the severity of phlebitis and pain among critically ill patients. Sampling: Convenience sample of eighty adult patients, equally allocated to control and intervention groups (n = 40). Setting: Medical Intensive Care Units (ICUs) in Tanta University Hospitals. Methods: The control group received standard ICU care, while the intervention group received topical application of sesame oil (SO) four times daily for three consecutive days. Design: Quasi-experimental research. Instruments: One instrument used in this study was the "Medical Patients Assessment Tool," which included the Visual Infusion Phlebitis Scale (VIPS) and the Numerical Rating Scale for Pain Assessment (NRSP). Results: The mean age of the control and intervention groups was 48.35 ± 12.83 and 47.95 ± 11.9, respectively. More than half of both groups' gender (60%–62.5%) was female. The development of phlebitis on the second (p = 0.002) and third days showed a significant difference between both groups (p < 0.001). About 60% of the control group developed grade two phlebitis; on the other hand, 40% of the intervention group developed it. However, 15% of the control group developed phlebitis grade 3, while 7.5% of the intervention group developed phlebitis grade 2 on the third day. Pain severity displayed no significant difference between the two groups on the second (p=0.003) and third days (p=0.059). Older age (B=0.254, p=0.022), female gender (B=0.238, p=0.05), increased blood glucose level (B=0.263, p<0.001), and length of stay (B=0.394, p<0.001) were related to increased occurrence of phlebitis among study patients. Conclusion: The intervention group demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in the incidence of phlebitis compared to the control group. Additionally, there were notable improvements in the severity of phlebitis and the intensity of pain experienced by the intervention group in the days following catheter insertion. Recommendations: Topical SO effectively reduces phlebitis occurrence and pain severity in critically ill patients. It also fosters the application of SO due to its advantages of lower cost and no adverse effects.