Abstract
Abstract Objective: To evaluate the intensity and discomfort of perioperative thirst and related factors during anesthesia recovery. Method: This is a quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive study. Results: Of the 203 participants, 182 (89.6%) reported they were thirsty. The mean intensity of thirst was 6.9 measured using a verbal numerical scale of 0 to 10 and discomfort was 7.3 on a scale of 0 to 14. All attributes evaluated by the scale were cited including dry mouth and desire to drink water (87.3%), dry lips (79.1%), thick tongue feeling (43.4%), thick saliva (56.5%), dry throat (75.2%) and bad taste in the mouth (63.1%). There was a positive correlation between the intensity of thirst and discomfort assessed by the scale (Spearman coefficient: 0.474; p-value: <0.05). No correlation was found between age, length of fasting and use of opioids with the intensity of thirst and discomfort. Conclusion and implication in the clinical practice: Discomfort arising from the attributes of thirst is evidenced as the intensity of thirst increases.
Highlights
Described as a multifactorial symptom, thirst is very prevalent in the immediate postoperative period (IPO), affecting 75% of adult patients.[1]
The results show that of the 182 participants who reported feeling thirsty, only 22 (12%) voiced it spontaneously
All the attributes evaluated by the Perioperative Headache Discomfort Scale (PHDS) were identified by the patients in the present research; this demonstrates that this scale is an instrument that is useful to identify discomfort related to perioperative thirst.The intensity of thirst - habitually investigated in studies on this topic - was not the only parameter evaluated; the correlation between
Summary
Described as a multifactorial symptom, thirst is very prevalent in the immediate postoperative period (IPO), affecting 75% of adult patients.[1] It is related to sensations that cause intense discomfort such as dry mouth, thick saliva and body fatigue.[2,3,4,5] The presence of this symptom involves motivational responses such as the pleasantness of drinking water during meals and emotional states, such as anxiety that can cause a reduction in saliva production These factors drive human beings to search for fluids and are influenced by conditions of the environment, health and disease. This demonstrates that subjective assessment of the intensity of thirst may be indicative of the physiological changes caused by it
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