Early Oral Hydration in Relieving Postoperative Thirst

Effectiveness of Early Oral Hydration in Relieving Postoperative Thirst in Patients Undergoing Urological Endoscopic Procedures: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This study aims to evaluate whether allowing early oral hydration on demand effectively relieves postoperative thirst and enhances patient satisfaction in individuals undergoing urological endoscopic procedures

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Patient Satisfaction; Thirst; Due to Deprivation of Water
• Intervention / Treatment: Dietary supplement: Early oral hydration; Other: No early oral hydration (As per Standard PACU Protocol)

Detailed Description

Postoperative thirst is a frequent but often overlooked discomfort experienced by patients after surgery, particularly following urological endoscopic procedures.Despite the common restriction on carly oral intake due to concerns about nausea and aspiration, delaying hydration prolongs patient suffering and reduces satisfaction during recovery. This study aims to investigate whether allowing carly, on-demand oral hydration in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) can effectively relieve postoperative thirst without increasing adverse effects, thereby potentially improving patient comfort and outcomes.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 200
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Muhammad M Abbas, FCPS; Phone Number: 02199215718; Email: smabbas69@hotmail.com

Study Locations

• Pakistan
  • Sindh
    • Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, 74200
      • Recruiting
      • Sindh Institute of urology and Transplantation
      • Contact: Muhammad M Abbas, FCPS; Phone Number: +923331318838; Email: smabbas69@hotmail.com
      • Sub-Investigator: Love Khatri, IMM

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Male and female patients aged 18-65 years.
2. Scheduled for elective urological endoscopic procedures under general anesthesia.
3. Day-care endoscopic procedures.
4. ASA classification I-III.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Known gastrointestinal disorders contraindicating early oral hydration (e.g., peptic ulcer disease, hiatal hernia, irritable bowel syndrome, esophagitis, or prior gastrointestinal surgery).
2. Inability to express thirst or communicate (e.g., language barrier, altered consciousness).
3. Requirement for nasogastric suction.
4. History of facial, oropharyngeal, or laryngeal surgery.
5. Swallowing dysfunction or delayed gastric emptying (e.g., gastroparesis).
6. Incomplete reversal of muscle relaxant at PACU admission (no adequate spontaneous breathing or protective airway reflexes).

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: EOH Group (Early Oral Hydration); Patients in the intervention group will be allowed early oral hydration on demand upon admission to the PACU if they meet the following safety criteria. Practical PACU checklist to be fulfilled before giving plain water. Require all of the following before any oral intake (start with small sips, e.g., 10 ml):	Dietary supplement: Early oral hydration; "Early oral hydration" refers to the administration of small sips of water (maximum 10 mL initially) within 15-30 minutes of arrival in the PACU, once the patient is fully conscious, stable, and meets safety criteria. Initially, patients will be provided a maximum of 10 mL of water using a straw. After this initial intake, they will be allowed to drink water according to their demand, provided their condition remains stable. To minimize the risk of adverse events such as regurgitation and aspiration, the total amount of water intake will be restricted to 0.5 mL/kg.
Active Comparator: Control Group (Standard PACU Protocol); Patients in the control group will follow the standard PACU protocol, which will delay oral hydration for 2-3 hours after the end of anesthesia. During this period, patients will be monitored closely for thirst and other postoperative symptoms.	Other: No early oral hydration (As per Standard PACU Protocol); Patients in the control group will follow the standard PACU protocol, which will delay oral hydration for 2-3 hours after the end of anesthesia. During this period, patients will be monitored closely for thirst and other postoperative symptoms.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Thirst intensity upon PACU arrival	Patients will be asked Did you experience thirst upon arrival in the PACU?; Yes; No If yes, rate your thirst intensity upon PACU arrival using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) on PACU entry.0 = No thirst, 10 = Worst imaginable thirst[0---1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8---9---10]	Up to 2 hours during immediate post-operative period
Thirst intensity at PACU discharge	Patients will be asked Did you experience thirst at PACU discharge?; Yes; No If yes, rate your thirst intensity at PACU discharge using the VAS (0-10).0 = No thirst, 10 = Worst imaginable thirst[0---1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8---9---10]	Up to 2 hours during immediate post-operative period
Patient comfort	Rate your comfort level during the PACU stay using the VAS (0-10) (0 = Uncomfortable, 10 = Very comfortable) [0---1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8---9---10]	Up to 2 hours during immediate post-operative period
Patient satisfaction with the hydration timing.	How satisfied are you with the hydration timing? (5-point Likert Scale): Very Dissatisfied; Dissatisfied; Neutral; Satisfied; Very Satisfied	Up to 2 hours during immediate post-operative period
Patient satisfaction with the hydration procedure.	How satisfied are you with the hydration process overall? (5-point Likert Scale): Very Dissatisfied; Dissatisfied; Neutral; Satisfied; Very Satisfied	Up to 2 hours during immediate post-operative period
Total oral water intake (mL) during PACU stay.	The total amount of water intake will be restricted to 0.5 mL/kg. The water will be provided in a graduated cup, and the total water intake will be calculated as follows: Total Water Intake (mL) = Volume of water in the cup upon PACU admission - Volume of water remaining in the cup upon PACU discharge.	Up to 2 hours iduring immediate post-operative period

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Adverse Events	Do you experience any of the following adverse events after drinking water? (Check all that apply): Bucking; Aspiration; Vomiting; None	Up to 2 hours during immediate post-operative period
Medical intervention given for any adverse event	Is medical intervention given for any adverse event?; Yes (specify: _____________); No	Up to 2 hours during immediate post-operative period

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Muhammad M Abbas, FCPS, Sindh Institute of urology and Transplantation

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): April 18, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): October 18, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): October 18, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 19, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 25, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): May 4, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 4, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 25, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Satisfaction; Postoperative; Thirst; Oral Hydration
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavior; Treatment Adherence and Compliance; Health Behavior; Personal Satisfaction; Patient Satisfaction
• Other Study ID Numbers: SIUT-ERC-2025/A-586

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No