Park Seong-Hyun, Mattson Richard H
Department of Horticulture, Forestry and Recreation Resources, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA.
J Altern Complement Med. 2009 Sep;15(9):975-80. doi: 10.1089/acm.2009.0075.
Clinical trials have not been reported concerning the health benefits of viewing indoor plants on stress and recovery of surgical patients within a hospital setting. Using various medical and psychologic measurements, this study performed a randomized clinical trial with surgical patients to evaluate whether plants in hospital rooms have therapeutic influences.
Ninety (90) patients recovering from a hemorrhoidectomy were randomly assigned to either control or plant rooms. With half the patients, live plants were placed in their rooms during postoperative recovery periods. Data collected for each patient included length of hospitalization, analgesics used for postoperative pain control, vital signs, ratings of pain intensity, pain distress, anxiety and fatigue, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Form Y-1, the Environmental Assessment Scale, and the Patient's Room Satisfaction Questionnaire.
Viewing plants during the recovery period had a positive influence linking directly to health outcomes of surgical patients. Patients in hospital rooms with plants and flowers had significantly more positive physiologic responses evidenced by lower systolic blood pressure, and lower ratings of pain, anxiety, and fatigue than patients in the control room. Patients with plants also felt more positively about their rooms and evaluated them with higher satisfaction when compared with patients in similar rooms without plants. Based on patients' comments, plants brightened up the room environment, reduced stress, and also conveyed positive impressions of hospital employees caring for patients.
Findings of this study confirmed the therapeutic value of plants in the hospital environment as a noninvasive, inexpensive, and effective complementary medicine for surgical patients. Health care professionals and hospital administrators need to consider the use of plants and flowers to enhance healing environments for patients.
尚未有关于在医院环境中观赏室内植物对手术患者压力及恢复的健康益处的临床试验报道。本研究通过各种医学和心理测量方法，对手术患者进行了一项随机临床试验，以评估病房内的植物是否具有治疗作用。
90例痔切除术后康复患者被随机分配至对照组或有植物的病房。对于其中一半患者，在术后康复期间将活植物放置在他们的病房。为每位患者收集的数据包括住院时间、用于术后疼痛控制的镇痛药、生命体征、疼痛强度评分、疼痛困扰、焦虑和疲劳程度、状态-特质焦虑量表Y-1、环境评估量表以及病房满意度调查问卷。
康复期间观赏植物对手术患者的健康结局有直接的积极影响。与对照组患者相比，病房中有植物和花卉的患者有更积极的生理反应，表现为收缩压更低、疼痛、焦虑和疲劳评分更低。与没有植物的类似病房中的患者相比，有植物的患者对自己的病房感觉也更积极，满意度评价更高。根据患者的评论，植物使病房环境更明亮、减轻了压力，还传达了医院员工关爱患者的积极印象。
本研究结果证实了植物在医院环境中的治疗价值，对手术患者而言是一种无创、廉价且有效的补充疗法。医疗保健专业人员和医院管理人员需要考虑使用植物和花卉来改善患者的康复环境。
