Patients' experiences of thirst in the perioperative period: a phenomonological study

Thirst is a common symptom among surgical patients and an important symptom affecting patient comfort. Thirst in the perioperative period is often described by patients as a more uncomfortable experience than pain or hunger. This study was conducted to determine the thirst experiences of surgical patients in the perioperative period.

In this study, the phenomenological design within the qualitative research model was used. The study was conducted in the general surgery clinic of a university hospital between January 01, 2025 and April 01, 2025. The sample of the study consisted of 13 patients who underwent surgical intervention and the participants were selected by purposive sampling method. The research data were collected using the Patient Introduction Form, Data Collection Form for the Surgical Period and Semi-structured Interview Form. Qualitative data were analyzed using Colaizzi's seven-step method.

As a result of the study, five main themes and a total of 12 sub-themes were identified: "thirst feeling", "thirst effect", "reaction to thirst", "thirst period" and "severity of thirst". In the individual interviews with the patients, it was found that the patients generally expressed that they physically experienced dry mouth, lips, palate and throat, and emotionally they felt stress, anxiety and restlessness.

Thirst in the perioperative period caused patients to experience not only physiologic but also emotional discomfort and negatively affected their overall experience of the surgical process. Accordingly, it is recommended that healthcare professionals adopt an approach that is sensitive to both physiological symptoms and emotional needs.