Comparing the Effects of Menthol-cold Water and Psyllium on Thirst and Xerostomia among Patients in Intensive Care Unit

Background: Thirst is a prevalent problem among patients in intensive care unit. This study aimed to compare the effects of menthol-cold water and psyllium on thirst and xerostomia among patients in intensive care unit. Methods: This randomized controlled trial was conducted in 2018–2019. Participants were 132 patients consecutively recruited from the intensive care units of two teaching hospitals, Tehran, Iran. They were randomly allocated to either a menthol-cold water, a psyllium, or a control group (44 patients in each group). Participants in the menthol-cold water and the psyllium groups received mouth wash with respectively menthol-cold water and psyllium in two fifteen-minute rounds with a thirty-minute interval. A visual analogue scale was used to assess thirst severity, distress, and xerostomia before and after each round of mouth wash. Data were analyzed through non-parametric statistical tests. Results: There were no significant differences among the groups respecting baseline characteristics, thirst severity and distress, and xerostomia. However, among-group differences respecting thirst severity, distress, and xerostomia were statistically significant after the intervention (P < 0.001). Mouth wash with psyllium was associated with significantly greater reduction in thirst severity, distress, and xerostomia compared with mouth wash with menthol-cold water (P< 0.001). Conclusion: Both menthol-cold water and psyllium are effective in reducing thirst and xerostomia among patients in intensive care unit, though the effectiveness of psyllium is significantly greater than menthol-cold water. Educating nurses about thirst and xerostomia assessment and herbal remedies for their management may help them effectively manage their patients’ thirst and xerostomia.