Package of menthol measures for thirst relief: a randomized clinical study

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of the menthol package (lip hydration and ice popsicles) compared to a package of non-menthol measures (lip hydration and ice popsicles) as a way to relieve thirst in patients in the Anesthetic Recovery Room. Method: Randomized and parallel trial study, with 120 patients randomized patients in an experimental group - menthol measurements (n=59) and control group - measures without menthol (n = 61). Results: There was a significant (p<0.05) decrease in intensity, hydration, dryness and taste in the oral cavity between the three moments of assessment/intervention in the two groups. The difference was significant in the experimental group for thirst intensity at the second assessment/intervention point (p<0.05) after a single administration of the menthol package. Conclusion: There was a reduction in thirst intensity in both groups. Patients who received menthol packages showed a significant decrease in intensity after a single evaluation/intervention time. NCT: 02869139.

The use of mentholated popsicle to reduce thirst during preoperative fasting: A randomised controlled trial

“…To date, we did not find studies of use of mentholated popsicle in the preoperative fasting in the same population of this study, though there is evidence of the benefits of this cold strategy during the postoperative period (Aroni et al, 2012;Cho et al, 2010 TA B L E 2 Comparison of intensity and discomfort with thirst over time, by groups 2014; Serato et al, 2019;Yoon & Min, 2011). In a quasi-experimental study, during the immediate postoperative period, the authors compared the administration of 2 millilitres of water at room temperature with 2 millilitres of ice.…”

“…Therefore, our formulation followed the recommendation of the United States Pharmacopeia, which indicates that menthol levels below 0.1% are safe concentrations for human ingestion. Specifically, we based our popsicle in the formulation of Serato and researchers (2019), who used a 10 ml popsicle volume, 0.05% of menthol, 0.05% of saccharine, 2% of cereal alcohol and ultrafiltered water. In our study, we increased the popsicle volume to 30 ml (same concentrations), since in the preoperative fasting the patient is not under anaesthetic medication and the ingestion of this volume does not offer risks to the surgical procedure.…”

“…In the literature, we found strategies whose primary focus was the humidification of the oral cavity using cold temperatures (Aroni et al, 2012;Cho, Kim, & Park, 2010;Conchon & Fonseca, 2018;Hur et al, 2009;Moon, Lee, & Jeong, 2015;Yoon & Min, 2011). Other authors tested cold strategies with the addition of menthol (Puntillo et al, 2014;Serato et al, 2019).…”

“…Research on the patients' experience of thirst within hospital settings has found a high prevalence of the symptom in surgical patients, varying from 75% (Aroni, Nascimento, & Fonseca, 2012)-98% (Serato et al, 2019) during the postoperative period, and from 43% (Gul, Andsoy, & Ozkaya, 2018)-69% (Francisco, Batista, & Pena, 2015) during the preoperative period. In the surgical patient, the experience of thirst is particularly unpleasant, with reports that it can give the sensation of suffocation, weakness, irritation, desperation, fear and anxiety.…”

Advances in the Management of Perioperative Patients' Thirst

“…Surgical patients are at high risk for developing osmotic or hypovolemic thirst . The prevalence of thirst is high in the IPP, ranging from 75% to 89.6% of adult patients, 88.5% of pediatric patients, and 97.6% of bariatric surgery patients reporting this symptom . The intensity of the reported thirst also is high, described as presenting at an average of 6.7 to 8.2 on a verbal numeric scale of 0 to 10.…”