Non-Cochrane · intervention · PM41437351
The effect of oral stimulants on thirst of patients in the post-operative period: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Sarmadi Sogand, Monjazebi Fateme, Sanaie Neda, et al. · BMC oral health · 2025 · PubMed · doi:10.1186/s12903-025-07249-8
Findings
69 findings
| Population | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Fasting time for liquids: over 15 h | SMD -1.05 [-1.75, -0.35] GRADE not reported 5 studies · 529 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Risk of bias domain 5: some concerns | SMD -1.85 [-4.16, 0.47] GRADE not reported 2 studies · 268 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Risk of bias domain 3: some concerns | SMD -2.66 [-3.18, -2.15] GRADE not reported 3 studies |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Risk of bias domain 4: low | SMD -1.28 [-1.94, -0.63] GRADE not reported 9 studies |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Sensitivity analysis: leave-one-out, omitting Aslan | SMD -1.40 [-1.99, -0.82] GRADE not reported 13 studies · 1182 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Sensitivity analysis: leave-one-out, omitting Conchon 2018 (labeled 2016 in the plots) | SMD -1.44 [-2.02, -0.87] GRADE not reported 13 studies · 1081 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Sensitivity analysis: leave-one-out, omitting Conchon 2021 | SMD -1.32 [-1.88, -0.75] GRADE not reported 13 studies · 1239 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Mean age: not specified | SMD 0.08 [-0.33, 0.49] GRADE not reported 1 study · 90 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Overall risk of bias: high | SMD -1.85 [-4.16, 0.47] GRADE not reported 2 studies · 268 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards | SMD -1.38 [-1.92, -0.84] Low Downgraded: inconsistency, indirectness, publication bias 14 studies · 1289 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Sensitivity analysis: leave-one-out, omitting Lin | SMD -1.32 [-1.89, -0.75] GRADE not reported 13 studies · 1193 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Fasting time for liquids: under 12 h | SMD -0.04 [-0.43, 0.35] GRADE not reported 1 study · 100 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Sensitivity analysis: ice popsicle arm used for the Mert 2024 three-arm trial | SMD -1.35 [-1.87, -0.82] GRADE not reported 14 studies · 1289 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Type of surgery: not specified | SMD -1.06 [-1.96, -0.16] GRADE not reported 7 studies · 684 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Sensitivity analysis: leave-one-out, omitting Mert | SMD -1.31 [-1.87, -0.75] GRADE not reported 13 studies · 1229 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Sensitivity analysis: leave-one-out, omitting Aroni | SMD -1.50 [-2.03, -0.96] GRADE not reported 13 studies · 1199 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Fasting time for solid foods: over 15 h | SMD -1.09 [-1.66, -0.51] GRADE not reported 6 studies · 639 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Country: Turkey | SMD -1.54 [-2.26, -0.82] GRADE not reported 7 studies · 661 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Baseline inequality: no | SMD -1.60 [-2.22, -0.98] GRADE not reported 9 studies · 801 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Sensitivity analysis: leave-one-out, omitting Serato | SMD -1.49 [-2.03, -0.95] GRADE not reported 13 studies · 1169 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period (post-anesthesia care, ICU, surgery wards) | Oral cold stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room temperature water, non-menthol package, or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0-10) Immediate post-operative period (assessment times varied) · Post-anesthesia care unit, ICU and surgical wards; random-effects REML meta-analysis · Meta-regression on assessment time | Meta-regression coefficient (SMD per unit time) 0.0000738 [-0.00082, 0.00097] GRADE not reported 14 studies · 1289 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Risk of bias domain 2: low | SMD -1.52 [-1.92, -1.11] GRADE not reported 7 studies |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Risk of bias domain 4: high | SMD -3.06 [-3.80, -2.31] GRADE not reported 1 study · 60 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards | MD -2.30 [-3.25, -1.34] Low Downgraded: inconsistency, indirectness, publication bias 14 studies · 1289 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Tool type: VAS (0 to 10) | SMD -1.54 [-2.82, -0.26] GRADE not reported 4 studies · 348 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Starting point for evaluations: not specified | SMD -2.13 [-3.92, -0.35] GRADE not reported 2 studies · 104 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Sensitivity analysis: leave-one-out, omitting Oztas | SMD -1.42 [-2.00, -0.84] GRADE not reported 13 studies · 1220 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Baseline inequality: not specified | SMD -1.13 [-1.50, -0.76] GRADE not reported 2 studies · 179 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Country: India | SMD -3.06 [-3.80, -2.31] GRADE not reported 1 study · 60 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Risk of bias domain 1: some concerns | SMD -3.06 [-3.80, -2.31] GRADE not reported 1 study · 60 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Type of surgery: radical prostatectomy | SMD -1.23 [-1.87, -0.60] GRADE not reported 1 study · 44 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Sensitivity analysis: excluding the two studies at high overall risk of bias | SMD -1.31 [-1.87, -0.75] GRADE not reported 12 studies · 1021 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Type of surgery: abdominal surgery | SMD -1.41 [-1.99, -0.83] GRADE not reported 4 studies · 346 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Risk of bias domain 2: some concerns | SMD -1.34 [-2.54, -0.14] GRADE not reported 6 studies |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Fasting time for liquids: not specified | SMD -1.74 [-2.70, -0.78] GRADE not reported 6 studies · 490 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Sensitivity analysis: leave-one-out, omitting Lian | SMD -1.37 [-1.95, -0.79] GRADE not reported 13 studies · 1233 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Starting point for evaluations: from the first intervention | SMD -1.07 [-1.81, -0.34] GRADE not reported 8 studies · 831 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Country: Brazil | SMD -0.80 [-1.62, 0.02] GRADE not reported 5 studies · 512 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Fasting time for liquids: 12 to 15 h | SMD -1.81 [-2.88, -0.74] GRADE not reported 2 studies · 170 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Sensitivity analysis: leave-one-out, omitting Gungor | SMD -1.39 [-1.98, -0.81] GRADE not reported 13 studies · 1179 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Continent: Asia | SMD -1.70 [-2.34, -1.06] GRADE not reported 9 studies · 777 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Overall risk of bias: low | SMD -1.44 [-1.88, -1.01] GRADE not reported 4 studies |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Sensitivity analysis: leave-one-out, omitting Can | SMD -1.27 [-1.80, -0.74] GRADE not reported 13 studies · 1170 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Fasting time for solid foods: 12 to 15 h | SMD -2.39 [-3.05, -1.73] GRADE not reported 1 study · 60 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Country: China | SMD -1.60 [-2.19, -1.00] GRADE not reported 1 study · 56 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Baseline inequality: yes | SMD -0.93 [-2.80, 0.94] GRADE not reported 3 studies · 309 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Sensitivity analysis: leave-one-out, omitting Rajeshkumar | SMD -1.26 [-1.78, -0.74] GRADE not reported 13 studies · 1229 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Sensitivity analysis: leave-one-out, omitting da Silva | SMD -1.40 [-1.98, -0.81] GRADE not reported 13 studies · 1245 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Risk of bias domain 4: some concerns | SMD -1.21 [-2.19, -0.24] GRADE not reported 4 studies |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Starting point for evaluations: from surgery | SMD -1.13 [-1.50, -0.76] GRADE not reported 2 studies · 179 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Dry mouth (self-reported) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards | SMD -1.44 [-3.50, 0.61] GRADE not reported 5 studies · 409 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Risk of bias domain 5: low | SMD -1.31 [-1.87, -0.75] GRADE not reported 12 studies · 1021 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Mean age: under 50 years | SMD -0.85 [-1.67, -0.02] GRADE not reported 5 studies · 595 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst discomfort (Perioperative Thirst Discomfort Scale) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards Unresolved: the two extractors disagree on this row. | SMD -1.24 [-1.79, -0.70] GRADE not reported 3 studies · 190 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Mean age: over 50 years | SMD -1.76 [-2.28, -1.24] GRADE not reported 7 studies · 544 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Tool type: NRS (0 to 10) | SMD -1.32 [-1.93, -0.72] GRADE not reported 10 studies · 941 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Fasting time for solid foods: under 12 h | SMD -0.04 [-0.43, 0.35] GRADE not reported 1 study · 100 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Risk of bias domain 1: low | SMD -1.26 [-1.78, -0.74] GRADE not reported 13 studies · 1229 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Continent: South America | SMD -0.80 [-1.62, 0.02] GRADE not reported 5 studies · 512 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Overall risk of bias: some concerns | SMD -1.23 [-2.05, -0.42] GRADE not reported 8 studies |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Type of surgery: cardiac surgery | SMD -2.53 [-3.16, -1.89] GRADE not reported 2 studies · 215 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Risk of bias domain 2: high | SMD -0.69 [-0.97, -0.41] GRADE not reported 1 study · 208 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Fasting time for solid foods: not specified | SMD -1.74 [-2.70, -0.78] GRADE not reported 6 studies · 490 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Risk of bias domain 3: low | SMD -1.02 [-1.51, -0.53] GRADE not reported 11 studies |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Starting point for evaluations: from extubation | SMD -2.24 [-3.46, -1.01] GRADE not reported 2 studies · 175 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Sensitivity analysis: leave-one-out, omitting Eren | SMD -1.49 [-2.03, -0.95] GRADE not reported 13 studies · 1189 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Cold water | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Type of agent | SMD -1.78 [-2.49, -1.07] GRADE not reported 5 studies · 391 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Ice | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Type of agent | SMD -0.24 [-0.72, 0.24] GRADE not reported 3 studies · 398 participants |
| Adult patients in the immediate post-operative period after surgery (PACU, ICU, surgery wards) | Menthol | Standard care (room-temperature water, non-menthol package or no intervention) | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) Immediate post-operative period · Post-anesthesia care, intensive care and surgical wards · Type of agent | SMD -1.65 [-2.49, -0.81] GRADE not reported 6 studies · 500 participants |
Included primary studies 27
Open in Studies| Study | Year | Also included by | Outcomes it informs here | Trial data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Can 2023 Effect of menthol lozenges after extubation on thirst, nausea, physiological parameters, and comfort in cardiovascular surgery patients: A… PMID:36812765 | 2023 | 1 other review | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Gungor 2024 Effects of cold spray on thirst, frequency of oral care, and pain of general surgery intensive care unit patients. PMID:38693271 | 2024 | 1 other review | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Lian 2024 The effect of ice-cold water spray following the model for symptom management on postoperative thirst in patients admitted to intensive… PMID:38211420 | 2024 | 1 other review | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Lin 2022 Effects of a spray-based oropharyngeal moisturising programme for patients following endotracheal extubation after cardiac surgery: A… PMID:35421771 | 2022 | 1 other review | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Aroni 2012 Avaliação de estratégias no manejo da sede na sala de recuperação pós-anestésica DOI:10.1590/s0103-21002012000400008 | 2012 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Aroni 2012 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) | not extracted yet |
| Aslan 2025 Effect of frozen saline and menthol gum on thirst level after abdominal surgery: A mixed‐methods study DOI:10.1111/nicc.13288 | 2025 | this review only | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) | not extracted yet |
| Aslan 2025 Effect of frozen saline and menthol gum on thirst level after abdominal surgery: A mixed-methods study. PMID:40098536 | 2025 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Can 2023 Effect of menthol lozenges after extubation on thirst, nausea, physiological parameters, and comfort in cardiovascular surgery patients: A… DOI:10.1016/j.iccn.2023.103415 | 2023 | this review only | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) | not extracted yet |
| Conchon 2018 Efficacy of an Ice Popsicle on Thirst Management in the Immediate Postoperative Period: A Randomized Clinical Trial DOI:10.1016/j.jopan.2016.03.009 | 2018 | this review only | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) | not extracted yet |
| Conchon 2018 Efficacy of an Ice Popsicle on Thirst Management in the Immediate Postoperative Period: A Randomized Clinical Trial. PMID:29580594 | 2018 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Conchon 2021 Use of Mentholated Popsicle in the Management of the Elderly Patient's Thirst in the Immediate Postoperative Period: A Randomized… DOI:10.1016/j.jopan.2020.09.013 | 2021 | this review only | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) | not extracted yet |
| Conchon 2021 Use of Mentholated Popsicle in the Management of the Elderly Patient's Thirst in the Immediate Postoperative Period: A Randomized… PMID:33640289 | 2021 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| da Silva 2023 Use of a menthol popsicle in managing postoperative thirst in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy: A randomized clinical trial DOI:10.1177/20503121231202231 | 2023 | this review only | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) | not extracted yet |
| da Silva 2023 Use of a menthol popsicle in managing postoperative thirst in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy: A randomized clinical trial. PMID:37846371 | 2023 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Eren 2025 The Effect of Oral Water and Ice Popsicle Exposure on the Management of Thirst in the Immediate Postoperative Period DOI:10.1016/j.jopan.2024.05.013 | 2025 | this review only | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) | not extracted yet |
| Eren 2025 The Effect of Oral Water and Ice Popsicle Exposure on the Management of Thirst in the Immediate Postoperative Period. PMID:39283276 | 2025 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Gungor 2024 Effects of cold spray on thirst, frequency of oral care, and pain of general surgery intensive care unit patients DOI:10.1038/s41598-024-58199-0 | 2024 | this review only | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) | not extracted yet |
| Lian 2024 The effect of ice-cold water spray following the model for symptom management on postoperative thirst in patients admitted to intensive… DOI:10.1016/j.iccn.2023.103571 | 2024 | this review only | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) | not extracted yet |
| Lin 2022 Effects of a spray-based oropharyngeal moisturising programme for patients following endotracheal extubation after cardiac surgery: A… DOI:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2022.104214 | 2022 | this review only | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) | not extracted yet |
| Mert 2024 The Effect of Menthol Ice on Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Patients' Thirst, Dry Mouth, Mouth Taste, and Bad Mouth Odor: A Randomized… DOI:10.1016/j.jopan.2023.12.024 | 2024 | this review only | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) | not extracted yet |
| Mert 2024 The Effect of Menthol Ice on Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Patients' Thirst, Dry Mouth, Mouth Taste, and Bad Mouth Odor: A Randomized… PMID:38795086 | 2024 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Oztas 2022 Effect of Spray Use on Mouth Dryness and Thirst of Patients Undergoing Major Abdominal Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Study DOI:10.1016/j.jopan.2021.04.018 | 2022 | this review only | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) | not extracted yet |
| Oztas 2022 Effect of Spray Use on Mouth Dryness and Thirst of Patients Undergoing Major Abdominal Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Study. PMID:35153118 | 2022 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Rajeshkumar 2025 Effectiveness of Nurse-Led Intervention on Thirst Intensity and Dryness of Mouth among Postoperative Patients in Surgical Intensive Care… PMID:40655584 | 2025 | this review only | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) | not extracted yet |
| Serato 2019 Package of menthol measures for thirst relief: a randomized clinical study DOI:10.1590/0034-7167-2018-0057 | 2019 | this review only | Thirst intensity (NRS or VAS 0 to 10) | not extracted yet |
| Serato 2019 Package of menthol measures for thirst relief: a randomized clinical study. PMID:31269122 | 2019 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
Overlap with other reviews
Reviews that include the same primary studies are not independent evidence. Shared counts match studies by PMID, DOI or NCT, and otherwise by author and year (a probable match). Only the non-Cochrane dental reviews have study lists, so overlap with Cochrane reviews is not counted yet.
| Review | Shared studies | Jaccard |
|---|---|---|
| Effects of Non-Pharmacological Interventions on Degree of Thirst and Oral Mucosal Moisture in Critically Ill Patients: A Systematic Review… (2026) | 4 | 0.10 |
Review question
| Element | Planned (methods) | Found (results) |
|---|---|---|
| Population | Adult surgical patients in the immediate post-operative period (post-anesthesia care, ICU, surgery wards) | Post-operative surgical patients (cardiac, abdominal, prostatectomy, mixed surgery) (n=1289) |
| Intervention | Oral stimulants (cold water, ice, menthol) | Cold water (n=5 studies), menthol (n=6), ice (n=3) |
| Comparison | Standard care (room temperature water or non-menthol package) | Usual care, room temperature water, or non-menthol/no intervention |
| Outcomes | Thirst intensity (NRS/VAS; primary), thirst discomfort, dry mouth, incidence/prevalence of thirst | Thirst intensity (n=14), thirst discomfort (n=3), dry mouth (n=5) |
| Study designs | Randomized controlled trials | RCTs (n=14) |
| Timing | Immediate post-operative period | Immediate post-operative period; assessment times varied |