Diogo Gonçalves Sara
Clinical Academic Center of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (CACTMAD), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
Diseases. 2025 Jul 23;13(8):232. doi: 10.3390/diseases13080232.
Pruritus is a common and distressing symptom in palliative care, often resulting from complex underlying conditions such as cancer, chronic kidney disease, and liver failure. Conventional pharmacological treatments frequently offer limited relief and may produce undesirable side effects in this medically fragile population. Despite the high prevalence and impact of pruritus in palliative care, there is a lack of consolidated evidence on integrative non-pharmacological approaches. This narrative review explores the potential role of essential oils as a complementary approach to managing pruritus in palliative settings. A review of the literature was conducted to examine the mechanisms of action, safety considerations, and clinical outcomes associated with the use of essential oils, with a particular focus on their anti-inflammatory, neuromodulatory, and soothing properties. Evidence suggests that essential oils may provide symptom relief and enhance quality of life when integrated into multidisciplinary care; however, small sample sizes, heterogeneity, and methodological weaknesses often limit the findings of these studies. Furthermore, the long-term safety and antigenotoxic potential of essential oils remain underexplored. This narrative review concludes that while essential oils appear promising as adjunct therapies for pruritus, further rigorous research, particularly well-designed clinical trials and toxicological assessments, is needed to support their safe and effective use in palliative care.
瘙痒是姑息治疗中一种常见且令人痛苦的症状，通常由癌症、慢性肾病和肝功能衰竭等复杂的潜在病症引起。传统的药物治疗往往缓解效果有限，并且可能在这个医疗脆弱人群中产生不良副作用。尽管瘙痒在姑息治疗中普遍存在且影响较大，但关于综合非药物治疗方法的证据并不充分。本叙述性综述探讨了精油作为姑息治疗中管理瘙痒的一种补充方法的潜在作用。对文献进行了回顾，以研究与使用精油相关的作用机制、安全性考量和临床结果，特别关注其抗炎、神经调节和舒缓特性。有证据表明，当精油被纳入多学科护理时，可能会缓解症状并提高生活质量；然而，样本量小、异质性和方法学上的缺陷常常限制了这些研究的结果。此外，精油的长期安全性和抗基因毒性潜力仍未得到充分探索。本叙述性综述得出结论，虽然精油作为瘙痒辅助治疗方法似乎很有前景，但需要进一步进行严格的研究，尤其是精心设计的临床试验和毒理学评估，以支持其在姑息治疗中的安全有效使用。
