Impact of an Interventional Thirst Bundle on thirst and dry mouth in Nasogastric Tube-Fed Patients

The Study aims to assess an interventional thirst bundle's efficacy in alleviating thirst and dry mouth in patients with nasogastric tube feeding.
Methods: A quasi-experimental time series research design was employed. Ninety patients aged 18 and above, receiving nasogastric feeding, were selected through convenience sampling and allocated into experimental (n=45) and control (n=45) groups. Baseline data were collected using a socio demographic performa. The thirst discomfort assessment scale, and the Challacombe Clinical Oral Dryness Scale used to assess thirst discomfort and dry mouth respectively. The experimental group received an interventional thirst bundle. Thirst discomfort and dry mouth scores were evaluated 15 minutes after each time. The efficacy of the interventional thirst bundle was analyzed using an independent t-test and repeated measures ANOVA where p<0.05 was considered significant.
Results: The independent t-test revealed a significant reduction in thirst and dry mouth among the experimental group after the use of interventional thirst bundle (p < 0.001). In contrast, the control group showed no significant changes (p > 0.05). Repeated measures ANOVA further supported the efficacy of the interventional thirst bundle (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: The study demonstrates that the interventional thirst bundle effectively reduces thirst and dry mouth in patients with nasogastric feeding. The results reveal that the who received the interventional thirst bundle exhibited substantial reductions in both thirst and dry mouth scores compared to the control group highlighting its potential as a low cost and practical intervention for improving the comfort and quality of life in patients undergoing nasogastric feeding. These findings underscore the importance of addressing sensory discomforts associated with enteral feeding and support the adoption of targeted interventions in clinical practice to enhance patient care.