The Relationship Between Preoperative Fear and Postoperative Thirst in Surgical Patients: Cross-Sectional and Correlational Study
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: ABS TRACT Objective: This study was conducted to determine the relationship between preoperative fear and postoperative thirst in surgical patients.Material and Methods: This study was cross-sectional and correlational.It was conducted between September 20, 2024 and May 20, 2025 with 288 patients in the general surgery, orthopaedics and traumatology, urology, and plastic and reconstructive surgery clinics of a university hospital.Data for the study were collected using the Patient Introduction Form, Surgical Period Data Collection Form, Surgical Fear Questionnaire, and Perioperative Thirst Discomfort Scale (PTDS).Results: In the study, participants' preoperative fear level averaged 34.80±19.62points.Patients' postoperative PTDS scores at admission to the ward and at the 2 nd and 4 th postoperative hours were 3.05±2.14,4.35±2.41,and 5.27±2.16,respectively.It was determined that preoperative surgical fear level was weakly and positively associated with thirst levels measured upon admission to the clinic after surgery (r=0.293,p=0.001), and at the 2 nd (r=0.298,p=0.001) and 4 th hours (r=0.234,p=0.001) postoperatively.The change in patients' postoperative thirst levels over time was significant.Conclusion: This study demonstrates that preoperative surgical fear has an effect on postoperative thirst.It was determined that patients with high levels of surgical fear experience more intense thirst, particularly in the early postoperative period.In future studies, it is recommended that the experience of dry mouth be evaluated not only through subjective measures but also in conjunction with physiological indicators such as saliva flow and skin dryness.
Institutions: Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy Üniversitesi, Fırat University
Language: English
Subfield: Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7214217427