Early Oral Hydration in Relieving Postoperative Thirst

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):

"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.

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]

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]

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]

How satisfied are you with the hydration timing? (5-point Likert Scale):

• Very Dissatisfied
• Dissatisfied
• Neutral
• Satisfied
• Very Satisfied

How satisfied are you with the hydration process overall? (5-point Likert Scale):

• Very Dissatisfied
• Dissatisfied
• Neutral
• Satisfied
• Very Satisfied

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.

Do you experience any of the following adverse events after drinking water? (Check all that apply):

• Bucking
• Aspiration
• Vomiting
• None

Is medical intervention given for any adverse event?

• Yes (specify: _____________)
• No