Impact of an interventional thirst bundle on thirst discomfort and dry mouth in nasogastric tube-fed patients: Quasi-experimental time-series study

BACKGROUND: Nasogastric (NG) tube feeding is commonly used for patients unable to eat orally but often causes thirst discomfort, dry mouth, reduced sensory satisfaction, and poor appetite. This study evaluated the efficacy of an interventional thirst bundle on thirst discomfort and dry mouth in patients receiving NG feeding. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A quasi-experimental time-series study was conducted from 2018 to 2020 at a 1000-bed tertiary care hospital in South Karnataka, India. Ninety adult patients receiving NG feeding and reporting thirst (score > 5) were selected using convenience sampling and randomly assigned to experimental ( n = 45) and control ( n = 45) groups via the simple random lottery method. The intervention included three cold lip swabs, a 2 ml sterile water buccal spray, and a lip moisturizer administered thrice daily for 2 days. Thirst and dry mouth were measured using validated tools. Data were analyzed using SPSS v. 23.0, with independent t -test, and repeated measures ANOVA. RESULTS: The experimental group showed significant reductions in thirst and dry mouth at all time points ( P < 0.001). Mean thirst scores declined from 16.96 ± 2.81 to 2.58 ± 1.03, and dry mouth scores from 4.51 ± 0.59 to 0.49 ± 0.20. Control group scores remained high. ANOVA confirmed statistical significance ( P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The interventional thirst bundle effectively reduced thirst and dry mouth among NG-fed patients. The researchers recommend incorporating this simple, low-cost intervention into routine nursing care to improve patient comfort and hydration. Implementing this approach in other hospital settings could especially benefit patients who are unable to drink fluids or maintain oral moisture due to NG feeding.