An interventional study of Menthol ice and Frozen saline in Thirst and Sore Throat, sponsored by Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa. Completed at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-12-15.
Sponsored by Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa · Not applicable, Interventional, and Health services research
The aim of the study was to determine the effect of postoperative menthol ice and frozen saline applications on thirst and sore throat in patients undergoing lumbar disc surgery.
In the postoperative period, patients become susceptible to many complications that may develop due to general anaesthesia, endotracheal intubation, surgical intervention and clinical conditions. One of the conditions that patients experience quite intensely in the postoperative period and which is usually ignored in clinics is the feeling of thirst. Another problem that may occur in patients undergoing surgery under general anaesthesia is discomfort due to endotracheal intubation. Patients may experience problems such as sore throat, hoarseness, difficulty swallowing and dry throat in the postoperative period due to endotracheal intubation. Diagnosis and control of postoperative thirst and sore throat contribute to patient comfort and prevention of complications. This study is considered important because it draws attention to postoperative thirst and sore throat, a problem that surgical patients have.
226 studies on the registry are indexed under Pharyngitis; 35 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 102 is below the median of 144 across 188 interventional studies indexed under Pharyngitis.
Browse Pharyngitis studies →Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa is the lead sponsor of 699 studies on the registry; 213 are open to participants now.
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Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
The anaesthetists’ scale of health before surgery: I is healthy, II has a mild illness that is under control, III a severe one, IV a severe illness that is a constant threat to life. V and VI are used for the critically ill and for organ donors.
ASA physical status
The anaesthetists’ scale of health before surgery: I is healthy, II has a mild illness that is under control, III a severe one, IV a severe illness that is a constant threat to life. V and VI are used for the critically ill and for organ donors.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
The menthol ice group will be given menthol ice by the researcher.
Other: Menthol ice
The frozen saline group will be given frozen saline by the researcher.
Other: Frozen saline
There will be no intervention to the control group. Routine practices of the clinic (moisturizing the lips with wetgauze, cotton or tissue) will be performed by the nurses of the Surgery Clinics.
Other: No Interventions
When patients are brought from the operating theatre to the surgical clinic, patients will be waited until they are able to communicate. In the first stage, after filling in the Patient Identification Form before the intervention, thirst status with Perioperative Thirst Discomfort Scale (PTDS) and sore throat status with the Numerical Pain Scale (NPS) will be evaluated. In the second stage, evaluation will be made according to the Safety Protocol for the Management of Immediate Postoperative Thirst and menthol ice will be applied if the patients meet the criteria in the protocol. Thirst will be re-evaluated with PTDS and sore throat will be re-evaluated with NPS at 30th and 60th minutes after the first application. Immediately after this evaluation, menthol ice will be applied for the second time. After the second application, thirst will be re-evaluated with PTDS at 30th and 60th minutes and sore throat will be re-evaluated with NPS.
When patients are brought from the operating theatre to the surgical clinic, patients will be waited until they are able to communicate. In the first stage, after filling in the Patient Identification Form before the intervention, thirst status with Perioperative Thirst Discomfort Scale (PTDS) and sore throat status with the Numerical Pain Scale (NPS) will be evaluated. In the second stage, evaluation will be made according to the Safety Protocol for the Management of Immediate Postoperative Thirst and frozen saline will be applied if the patients meet the criteria in the protocol. Thirst will be re-evaluated with PTDS and sore throat will be re-evaluated with NPS at 30th and 60th minutes after the first application. Immediately after this evaluation, frozen saline will be applied for the second time. After the second application, thirst will be re-evaluated with PTDS at 30th and 60th minutes and sore throat will be re-evaluated with NPS.
When patients are brought from the operating theatre to the surgical clinic, patients will be waited until they are able to communicate. In the first stage, after filling in the Patient Introduction Form before the intervention, thirst status with Perioperative Thirst Discomfort Scale (PTDS) and sore throat status with Numerical Pain Scale(NPS) will be evaluated. Patients in the control group will be waited for approximately 10 minutes, taking into account the application times in the intervention groups. No intervention will be applied during the waiting period. After 10 minutes of waiting time, thirst will be re-evaluated with PTDS and sore throat will be re-evaluated with NPS at 30th and 60th minutes. Considering the 2nd application time in the intervention groups, it will be waited again for approximately 10 minutes without any intervention. After the waiting period, thirst will be re-evaluated with PTDS at 30th and 60th minutes and sore throat will be re-evaluated with NPS.
Total Score on the Perioperative Thirst Discomfort Scale
The Perioperative Thirst Discomfort Scale is a 6-item self-report instrument. It uses a 3-point Likert response format with each item rated as: 0 = Did not disturb, 1 = Somewhat disturbed, and 2 = Very disturbed. The total score ranges from 0 to 12, with higher scores indicating greater perioperative thirst discomfort. The scale has no sub-dimensions. It is used to quantitatively assess patients' perceived thirst discomfort during the perioperative period.
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention), and at 30 and 60 minutes after each of two interventions (total of 5 time points within 2 hours post-op).
Throat Pain Intensity as Measured by the Numerical Pain Scale
Throat pain intensity was assessed using a Numerical Pain Scale ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no throat pain and 10 indicates the worst throat pain imaginable. Participants rated their throat pain by selecting a number that best described its intensity at the time of assessment. The Numerical Pain Scale is a validated and widely used tool for measuring subjective pain.
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention), and at 30 and 60 minutes after each of two interventions (total of 5 time points within 2 hours post-op).
Eligibility for Oral Hydration Administration According to the Safety Protocol for Management Thirst in the Immediate Postoperative Period
The Safety Protocol for Thirst Management in the Immediate Postoperative Period is a checklist-based protocol designed to evaluate whether patients in the early post-anesthesia period are eligible for oral water or ice administration. The protocol assesses key clinical criteria such as level of consciousness, airway patency, and presence of nausea or vomiting. Only patients who meet all the checklist criteria are considered suitable for oral water or ice administration.
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention) (total of one time point within post-op period)
Plan to share: No
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