Essential Oil-Assisted Respiratory Training in Type 2 Diabetic Patients With Lung Infections

Launched by NATIONAL TAIPEI UNIVERSITY OF NURSING AND HEALTH SCIENCES · Aug 4, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying a new way to help people with type 2 diabetes who have lung infections breathe better. People with type 2 diabetes often have weaker lung function compared to healthy individuals, and lung infections can make breathing even harder for them. This study will test a special breathing exercise called incentive spirometry, which helps improve lung strength. The researchers will also use a device that spreads pleasant-smelling essential oils like wintergreen, peppermint, and eucalyptus during the breathing exercises to make the experience more comfortable and possibly more effective.

If you have type 2 diabetes and are currently in the hospital for a lung infection, you might be eligible to join this study, as long as you are between 18 and 90 years old and can communicate in Mandarin or Taiwanese. Participants will be asked to do regular breathing exercises over time, and doctors will check how well their lungs are working and how they feel during the treatment. The goal is to see if combining these breathing exercises with essential oils can help improve breathing and make the treatment easier to follow. This research could lead to better ways to support lung health in people with diabetes who get lung infections.

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Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • I. Currently hospitalized due to pulmonary infection (ICD-10 codes: J00.x to J22.x).
• • II. Diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (ICD-10 codes: E10.x or E11.x). III. Aged between 18 and 90 years. IV. Able to communicate verbally or non-verbally and understand Mandarin or Taiwanese.
• • V. Willing to participate in the study and consent to group assignment.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • I. Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score ≥ 5, indicating severe functional impairment.
• • II. Diagnosed with dementia (unable to comprehend or follow intervention instructions).
• • III. Presence of acute psychiatric symptoms that impair communication. IV. Individuals with high litigation risk. V. Diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or any other chronic respiratory diseases.
• • VI. Diagnosed with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency (ICD-10 codes: D55.x, D74-75.x).