Effects of Early Oral Hydration on Postextubation Thirst, Nausea, and Vomiting in Cardiac Surgery Patients: A...

A fasting period of 6 hours is generally maintained after endotracheal tube extubation to reduce the risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting in cardiac surgery patients. However, cardiac surgery patients experience oral discomfort related to thirst, nausea, and vomiting for a longer duration than patients undergoing other surgeries. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of early oral hydration (EOH) on thirst, nausea, and vomiting in cardiac surgery patients.

Randomized controlled trial design as adopted and guided by CONSORT.

Seventy-seven cardiac surgery patients were randomly assigned to either the experimental (EOH; 2-hour fasting; n = 39) or control group (delayed oral hydration; 6-hour fasting, n = 38). Thirst was assessed using the Perioperative Thirst Discomfort Scale. Nausea and vomiting were assessed using the Index of Nausea, Vomiting, and Retching. Thirst, nausea, and vomiting were assessed immediately after extubation (T1), as well as at 6 hours (T2) and 12 hours (T3) postextubation.

Compared with the delayed oral hydration group, the EOH group showed a significantly greater reduction in thirst over time (P < .001). Nausea and vomiting were not significantly different between the two groups (P = .327).

EOH helped reduce thirst. Although EOH did not aggravate nausea and vomiting relative to conservative oral hydration, it may help alleviate postextubation discomfort in cardiac surgery patients.