An interventional study of Sunflower oil inhalation and 1% Linalool inhalation in Pneumonia and Dyspnea, sponsored by Far Eastern Memorial Hospital. Recruiting at 1 site in Taiwan. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 90 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-26.
Sponsored by Far Eastern Memorial Hospital · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care
Pneumonia is a major public health concern globally and domestically. Dyspnea experienced by hospitalized pneumonia patients often induces anxiety and psychological distress. Wintergreen essential oil, primarily composed of methyl salicylate, is commonly used for comfort care and respiratory relief. This study aims to evaluate the effects of wintergreen essential oil inhalation on dyspnea, physiological parameters, laboratory data, pulmonary function, and subjective comfort in hospitalized pneumonia patients.
A randomized, non-blinded clinical trial will be conducted at the Integrated Medical Ward of Far Eastern Memorial Hospital. A total of 84 participants will be enrolled and randomly allocated into 7 parallel groups (12 participants per group): (1) Waiting control group (routine care); (2) Placebo group (sunflower oil); (3) Positive control group (1% linalool); and (4-7) Experimental groups receiving 0.5%, 1%, 2%, and 3% wintergreen essential oil diluted in sunflower oil. The inhalation intervention will be administered 3 times daily for 3 consecutive days. For each session, 0.5 mL (10 drops) of the allocated oil will be dropped onto a 2-inch gauze held 5 cm from the participant's nose for 8 deep breaths. Assessments include physiological parameters (RR, SpO2), capillary blood lactate, pulmonary function tests (FEV1, PEF), laboratory tests (WBC, CRP, etc.), and the Chinese version of the Dyspnoea-12 scale administered before and after the 3-day intervention.
2,072 studies on the registry are indexed under Pneumonia; 286 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 84 is below the median of 107 across 1,263 interventional studies indexed under Pneumonia.
Browse Pneumonia studies →Far Eastern Memorial Hospital is the lead sponsor of 259 studies on the registry; 39 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Participants receive standard routine medical and nursing care for pneumonia without receiving any essential oil or placebo oil inhalation intervention during the study period.
Participants receive routine care plus sunflower oil inhalation. A dose of 0.5 mL (10 drops) of pure sunflower oil is applied to a 2-inch gauze and held 5 cm from the participant's nose for 8 deep breaths, administered 3 times daily for 3 consecutive days.
Other: Sunflower oil inhalation
Participants receive routine care plus 1% linalool inhalation (diluted in sunflower oil). A dose of 0.5 mL (10 drops) is applied to a 2-inch gauze held 5 cm from the nose for 8 deep breaths, administered 3 times daily for 3 consecutive days.
Other: 1% Linalool inhalation
Participants receive routine care plus 0.5% wintergreen essential oil inhalation (diluted in sunflower oil). A dose of 0.5 mL (10 drops) is applied to a 2-inch gauze held 5 cm from the nose for 8 deep breaths, administered 3 times daily for 3 consecutive days.
Other: Wintergreen essential oil inhalation
Participants receive routine care plus 1% wintergreen essential oil inhalation (diluted in sunflower oil). A dose of 0.5 mL (10 drops) is applied to a 2-inch gauze held 5 cm from the nose for 8 deep breaths, administered 3 times daily for 3 consecutive days.
Other: Wintergreen essential oil inhalation
Participants receive routine care plus 2% wintergreen essential oil inhalation (diluted in sunflower oil). A dose of 0.5 mL (10 drops) is applied to a 2-inch gauze held 5 cm from the nose for 8 deep breaths, administered 3 times daily for 3 consecutive days.
Other: Wintergreen essential oil inhalation
Participants receive routine care plus 3% wintergreen essential oil inhalation (diluted in sunflower oil). A dose of 0.5 mL (10 drops) is applied to a 2-inch gauze held 5 cm from the nose for 8 deep breaths, administered 3 times daily for 3 consecutive days.
Other: Wintergreen essential oil inhalation
Pure sunflower oil is used as a placebo comparator. A volume of 0.5 mL (10 drops) is placed onto a 2-inch gauze held 5 cm away from the patient's nose for 8 deep breaths (approximately 30 seconds), administered 3 times daily for 3 consecutive days.
Also known as: Placebo
High-purity (-)-linalool (Sigma-Aldrich, purity \>= 95.0%) diluted to 1% concentration with sunflower oil. A volume of 0.5 mL (10 drops) is applied onto a 2-inch gauze held 5 cm from the participant's nose for 8 deep breaths, administered 3 times daily for 3 consecutive days.
Also known as: (-)-Linalool
Wintergreen essential oil containing methyl salicylate, diluted with sunflower oil into four concentrations: 0.5%, 1%, 2%, and 3%. A volume of 0.5 mL (10 drops) is dropped onto a 2-inch gauze held 5 cm from the patient's nose for 8 deep breaths, administered 3 times daily for 3 consecutive days.
Also known as: Salicylate oil, Gaultheria procumbens essential oil
Change in Dyspnoea-12 (D-12) Score
Assessed using the Chinese version of the Dyspnoea-12 (D-12) questionnaire to measure physical and affective components of dyspnea. The scale consists of 12 items, with each item scored from 0 (none) to 3 (severe), yielding a total score ranging from 0 to 36. Higher scores indicate greater severity of dyspnea.
Time frame: Baseline (Day 1 before intervention) and Post-intervention (Day 4 after completion of 3-day intervention)
Change in Respiratory Rate (RR)
Measured by nursing staff using clinical vital sign monitors to record breaths per minute.
Time frame: Baseline (Day 1 before intervention) and Post-intervention (Day 4 after completion of 3-day intervention)
Change in Oxygen Saturation (SpO2)
Measured by nursing staff using pulse oximetry monitors to record peripheral capillary oxygen saturation percentage (%).
Time frame: Baseline (Day 1 before intervention) and Post-intervention (Day 4 after completion of 3-day intervention).
Change in Capillary Blood Lactate Level
Measured via single-point fingertip blood sampling using THE EDGE Blood Lactate Monitoring System to obtain point-of-care lactate levels (mmol/L).
Time frame: Baseline (Day 1 before intervention) and Post-intervention (Day 4 after completion of 3-day intervention).
Change in Pulmonary Function (FEV1 and PEF)
Evaluated using a portable spirometer (MIR Spirodoc) to measure Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second (FEV1) and Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF).
Time frame: Baseline (Day 1 before intervention) and Post-intervention (Day 4 after completion of 3-day intervention)
Change in Blood and Inflammatory Biomarkers
Collected from electronic medical records, including complete blood count (white blood cell count \[WBC\], neutrophil percentage, lymphocyte percentage, hemoglobin \[Hgb\]) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels.
Time frame: Within 1 week before intervention and within 1 week after completion of intervention.
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Started Oct 2026 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Jul 2028, 21 months after the start.
Of 293 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Pneumonia, half reached primary completion within 21 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 10 and three quarters within 36. This study's planned 21 months is close to that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 303 studies reached it within 21 months; a quarter within 10 and three quarters within 36.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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