The Effect of Early Oral Hydration on Postoperative Nausea, Thirst, and Throat Discomfort: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Purpose Postoperative thirst is a common yet often overlooked symptom that significantly affects patient comfort. Traditional fasting protocols delay oral intake, thereby prolonging discomfort and potentially hindering recovery. Thus, safe, feasible interventions to alleviate thirst are needed. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of early oral hydration using small volumes of room-temperature water to reduce postoperative thirst and throat discomfort. Design Randomized controlled trial. Methods Adult patients undergoing non-gastrointestinal surgery under general anesthesia were randomized into early oral hydration (intervention) or routine care (control) groups. The intervention group received 10 mL of room-temperature water at 30 minutes and 1 mL/kg at 40 minutes post-admission to the postanesthesia care unit. Symptoms (including thirst, nausea, and throat discomfort) were assessed using a 10-point numerical rating scale at 30 minutes (T0, pre-intervention), 35 minutes (T1), and 50 minutes (T2, post-admission). Generalized estimating equations were used to compare symptom changes between groups. Findings Of the 150 patients enrolled in this study (mean age 41.54 ± 10.41 years; 85.3% female; average preoperative fasting duration 11.81 ± 2.63 hours), 75 were assigned to each group. Baseline thirst scores (T0) showed no significant correlation with demographic or clinical variables. At T1 and T2, the intervention group reported significantly lower thirst and throat discomfort scores than the controls ( P <.01). Nausea scores did not differ significantly between groups. Conclusions Early oral hydration with small volumes of room-temperature water is a safe, low-cost, and easily implementable intervention that effectively reduces postoperative thirst and throat discomfort, supporting its integration into routine, postoperative care, when not contraindicated, to improve patient comfort.