Surgical patients, and especially bariatric patients, are high-risk patients who may develop thirst due to intubation, blood loss, osmotic imbalance, and prolonged fasting. Nurses often have the perception that when the patient's oral intake is turned off, nothing can be done to prevent thirst and dry mouth. Thirst is one of the main stress factors that reduces the comfort of intensive care patients. So far, no assessment has been routinely used to assess thirst and dry mouth. However, thirst is a mitigable symptom that should be evaluated by the nurse.
The data were collected by the researcher by face-to-face interview technique between April 2022 and March 2023 in the groups participating in the study. It was applied to patients who agreed to participate by giving information about the purpose of the study to patients who met the research criteria. The patients were divided into 2 groups as study and control. In the study group, the intensive care oral care frequency assessment scale was applied to 55 patients at the end of the 16th hour, in addition to the assessment of pain and thirst at the 1st, 4th, 8th, and 16th hours postoperatively. It was applied to patients with a thirst of 3 and above by spraying cold water into the mouth of the patient every hour. The standard oral care of the clinic was applied to the patients who needed oral care. In the control group, standard nursing care was applied to 55 patients with the pain, thirst and intensive care oral care frequency assessment scale at the 1st, 4th, 8th, and 16th hours postoperatively.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
55
the intensive oral care
Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University
Kahramanmaraş, Turkey (Türkiye)
Study Group Outcome
In the study group, 55 patients were evaluated for pain and thirst at the 1st, 4th, 8th and 16th postoperative hours and the intensive care oral care frequency assessment scale was additionally applied at the end of the 16th hour without oral care.
Time frame: 16 hours
Control Group Outcome
In the control group, standard nursing care was applied to 55 patients at the 1st, 4th, 8th, 16th postoperative hours with the intensive care oral care frequency assessment scale at the end of the 16th hour without pain, thirst and oral care.
Time frame: 16 hours
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