The effect of ice-cold water spray following the model for symptom management on postoperative thirst in patients admitted to intensive care unit: A randomized controlled study

Background: Postoperative thirst is common in patients admitted to the intensive care unit. Existing methods like wet cotton swabs or oral care prove ineffectual or operationally intricate. Currently, an efficacious postoperative thirst alleviation method remains elusive. Exploring a prompt, safe, and efficacious solution is of paramount importance. Objective: To assess the effect of ice-cold water spray applied following a symptom management model on postoperative thirst and to establish a framework for mitigating thirst in intensive care unit patients. Research design: Single-center randomized controlled study. Setting: Surgical intensive care unit in a university-affiliated hospital. Main outcome measures: 56 intensive care unit patients were selected and equally randomized. The experimental group received ice-cold water spray in conjunction with eight symptom management strategies, while the control group underwent standard care involving wet cotton swabs. Thirst intervention was initiated 0.5 hours after postoperative extubation, followed by subsequent interventions at 2-hour, 4-hour, and 6-hour intervals post-extubation. Thirst intensity, oral comfort, and the duration of relief from thirst were assessed and compared between groups before and 0.5 hours after each thirst intervention. Results: Across different interventions, the experimental group exhibited superior scores in thirst intensity and oral comfort compared to the control group. Additionally, the nursing time required to alleviate thirst in the experimental group was significantly shorter than that in the control group (P < 0.01). Conclusion: Ice-cold water spray following the model for symptom management can effectively mitigate the postoperative thirst intensity in intensive care unit patients, improve oral comfort, and reduce the nursing time for relieving thirst. Implications for clinical practice: Clinical nurses can employ ice-cold water spray following the model for symptom management to ameliorate postoperative thirst intensity in ICU patients while enhancing oral comfort. Furthermore, the utilization of ice-cold water spray can reduce the nursing time required for relieving post-operative thirst in intensive care unit patients.