Comparison of the Efficiency of Two Different Methods in Managing Early Postoperative Thirst

Acibadem University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Post-Op Complication; Patient Satisfaction; Nursing Caries

Treatments: Other: Ice Application; Other: Wetted Gauze Application

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06507696

2022-21/01

Details and patient eligibility

About

Postoperative thirst is one of the most common problems in patients. Thirst is a subjective symptom. Thirst can cause unwanted problems in patients such as anxiety, discomfort and nausea. It may even cause anxiety, hypertension, dysrhythmia, non-compliance with treatment and increased need for anesthesia. Although different methods have been applied in the management of thirst in the existing literature and positive results have been obtained, studies with high evidence value are very limited. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two different methods in thirst management.

Full description

In this study, the investigators compared the effectiveness of two of the methods proposed in the literature for the relief of postoperative thirst.

These methods are ice application and wet gauze. A numerical comparison scale was used to assess and monitor thirst (0=no thirst, 10=worst perceived thirst).

In patients with a thirst score of 4 and above in the early postoperative period, the duration of thirst severity and the method of quenching thirst with oral ice or wet gauze impregnation were compared. In addition, a control group without any intervention was included. The thirst conditions of these three groups were compared.

A total of 240 patients, 80 in each group, were included in the study. Oral ice was applied in one group, wet gauze in the second group and no intervention was applied in the third group.

Enrollment: 240 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients aged 18-65 years
• undergoing elective surgery
• Patients undergoing surgery other than gastrointestinal system surgery
• Patients in class I, II, III according to the American anesthesiologists' association classification (ASA)
• Patients who have completed a minimum of 6 hours of strict fasting and 3 hours of thirst
• Patients who can verbally express a thirst level of 4 points or more according to visual benchmark scale in the early postoperative period
• Patients who comply with the safety protocol in the early postoperative period
• Patients who can express their thirst in the early postoperative period/recovery unit
• Patients with a duration of surgical anesthesia ≥1 hour and taken to the recovery unit at the end of surgery will be included in the study.

Exclusion criteria

• Emergency planned surgeries
• Patients who had a second surgical intervention during the hospitalization period
• Patients who need intensive care after surgery
• Patients with problems in the extubation process after surgery
• Patients with altered state of consciousness after surgery
• Patients with fluid electrolyte imbalance (hypovolemia and sodium imbalance)
• Patients with swallowing difficulties and fluid intake restriction
• Foreign patients with language barriers
• Patients with menthol allergy
• Patients with problems in the head, neck, throat and mouth will be excluded from the sample.
• Women who have just given birth and are breastfeeding.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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240 participants in 3 patient groups

Ice Application

Experimental group

Description:

* In ice application, 5 ml of drinking water was filled in a 10 ml syringe and frozen by inserting a plastic piston into it and then these frozen ice cubes were given into the mouths of the patients. * The ice cubes were prepared before the application and stored in the freezer section of the refrigerator. * The ice was taken out of the frozen syringe and the nurse moved it around the patient's mouth to melt it. * By holding the ice cubes from the piston part to the researcher, the patient was allowed to suck and melt them in the mouth.

Treatment:

Other: Ice Application

Wetted Gauze Application

Experimental group

Description:

* During wetted gauze application, sterile gauze swabs were wetted with drinking water. * Sterile gauze swabs (10 cm\*10cm) were wetted with 5 ml and applied for 5 minutes. * The wetted end part of the gauze swabs was allowed to be sucked in the patient's mouth by the researcher.

Treatment:

Other: Wetted Gauze Application

No intervention

No Intervention group

Description:

Patients in the control group did not receive any application