Major Abdominal SurgeriesNCT07506226
Cold Water Gargling After Major Abdominal Surgery
A study testing Cold water gargling in people with Major Abdominal Surgeries, run by TC Erciyes University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
Trial summary
This randomized controlled trial examined the effect of cold water gargling on postoperative oral dryness, thirst severity, and patient satisfaction in patients who underwent major abdominal surgery. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Major Abdominal Surgeries
- What is being tested?
- Cold water gargling
- Type of treatment
- Pill or oral medicine
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 88 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
- Study dates
- 19 Mar 2025to 1 Mar 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Aged 18 years or older
- Scheduled for elective major abdominal surgery
- Able to communicate verbally
- Willing to participate and provided written informed consent
- No restriction on gargling (intact swallowing reflex)
Who cannot join
- Presence of oral mucositis, oral ulceration, or any oral pathology
- History of dysphagia or swallowing difficulties
- Presence of nausea or vomiting preventing gargling
- Altered level of consciousness or inability to cooperate
- Receiving intravenous fluid therapy that resolves thirst symptoms
- Patients who required reoperation during the study period
- Patients transferred to the intensive care unit postoperatively
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: The Effect of Cold Gargling on Oral Dryness, Thirst Severity, and Patient Satisfaction in Patients Who Have Undergone Major Abdominal Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial
This randomized controlled trial examined the effect of cold water gargling on postoperative oral dryness, thirst severity, and patient satisfaction in patients who underwent major abdominal surgery. Patients were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (cold water gargling) or the control group (standard care). Thirst severity and oral dryness were assessed using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS; 0-10) at postoperative 8, 12, and 24 hours. Perioperative thirst-related discomfort was evaluated using the Perioperative Thirst Discomfort Scale (PTDS; score range 0-12), and patient satisfaction was assessed using a VAS (0-10) at postoperative 24 hours. The study was conducted at Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine Gevher Nesibe Hospital, General Surgery Clinic. A total of 88 patients were enrolled (44 per group). The study aimed to provide evidence for a simple, low-cost nursing intervention to improve postoperative patient comfort.
- Conditions
- Major Abdominal Surgeries
- Being tested
- Cold water gargling
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Cold water garglingOther
Patients gargled with cold water at postoperative 8, 12, and 24 hours. Each gargling session involved approximately 10 mL of cold water (approximately 4°C) for 30 seconds. The procedure was performed under nurse supervision. Patients were instructed not to swallow the water and to spit it out after gargling. No oral fluid intake was permitted during the study period per standard postoperative protocol.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention group | Other | Patients in the intervention group gargled with cold water (approximately 10 mL, 4°C) for 30 seconds at postoperative 8, 12, and 24 hours. Gargling was performed under nurse supervision. Patients were instructed not to swallow the water. Receives: Other: Cold water gargling |
| Control group | No intervention | Patients in the control group received standard postoperative care per hospital protocol. No gargling intervention was applied. Oral intake restrictions were maintained as per routine clinical practice. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Thirst Severity
Assessed using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS; 0=no thirst, 10=very severe thirst)
Measured: Postoperative 8, 12, and 24 hours
Oral Dryness Severity
Assessed using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS; 0=no oral dryness, 10=very severe oral dryness)
Measured: Postoperative 8, 12, and 24 hours
Secondary outcomes (2)
Perioperative Thirst-Related Discomfort
Assessed using the Perioperative Thirst Discomfort Scale (PTDS; Turkish version). 6-item, 3-point Likert scale. Total score range 0-12; higher scores indicate greater discomfort.
Measured: Postoperative 24 hours
Patient Satisfaction
Assessed using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS; 0=not satisfied at all, 10=very satisfied)
Measured: Postoperative 24 hours
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted1 Apr 2026
- Study start19 Mar 2025
- Primary completion1 Mar 2026
- Study completion1 Mar 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Major Abdominal SurgeriesStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by TC Erciyes UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 88 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- TC Erciyes University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Seda Akutay, TC Erciyes University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07506226
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- ErciyesUniversity_
- Status last verified
- Mar 2026
- First submitted
- 26 Mar 2026
- Last updated
- 6 Apr 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 6 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effect of Cold Gargling on Oral Dryness, Thirst Severity, and Patient Satisfaction in Patients Who Have Undergone Major Abdominal Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07506226
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- ErciyesUniversity_
- Conditions
- Major Abdominal Surgeries
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 88 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- TC Erciyes UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 19 Mar 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 1 Mar 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 1 Apr 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This randomized controlled trial examined the effect of cold water gargling on postoperative oral dryness, thirst severity, and patient satisfaction in patients who underwent major abdominal surgery. Patients were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (cold water gargling) or the control group (standard care). Thirst severity and oral dryness were assessed using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS; 0-10) at postoperative 8, 12, and 24 hours. Perioperative thirst-related discomfort was evaluated using the Perioperative Thirst Discomfort Scale (PTDS; score range 0-12), and patient satisfaction was assessed using a VAS (0-10) at postoperative 24 hours. The study was conducted at Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine Gevher Nesibe Hospital, General Surgery Clinic. A total of 88 patients were enrolled (44 per group). The study aimed to provide evidence for a simple, low-cost nursing intervention to improve postoperative patient comfort.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention group | Other | Other: Cold water garglingPatients in the intervention group gargled with cold water (approximately 10 mL, 4°C) for 30 seconds at postoperative 8, 12, and 24 hours. Gargling was performed under nurse supervision. Patients were instructed not to swallow the water. |
| Control group | No intervention | –Patients in the control group received standard postoperative care per hospital protocol. No gargling intervention was applied. Oral intake restrictions were maintained as per routine clinical practice. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Aged 18 years or older
- Scheduled for elective major abdominal surgery
- Able to communicate verbally
- Willing to participate and provided written informed consent
- No restriction on gargling (intact swallowing reflex)
Key exclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Presence of oral mucositis, oral ulceration, or any oral pathology
- History of dysphagia or swallowing difficulties
- Presence of nausea or vomiting preventing gargling
- Altered level of consciousness or inability to cooperate
- Receiving intravenous fluid therapy that resolves thirst symptoms
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Cold water garglingPatients gargled with cold water at postoperative 8, 12, and 24 hours. Each gargling session involved approximately 10 mL of cold water (approximately 4°C) for 30 seconds. The procedure was performed under nurse supervision. Patients were instructed not to swallow the water and to spit it out after gargling. No oral fluid intake was permitted during the study period per standard postoperative protocol. | Other | Intervention group |
Primary outcome
Thirst Severity
Time frame: Postoperative 8, 12, and 24 hours
Assessed using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS; 0=no thirst, 10=very severe thirst)
Oral Dryness Severity
Time frame: Postoperative 8, 12, and 24 hours
Assessed using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS; 0=no oral dryness, 10=very severe oral dryness)
2 secondary outcomes
Perioperative Thirst-Related Discomfort
Time frame: Postoperative 24 hours
Patient Satisfaction
Time frame: Postoperative 24 hours
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 6 Apr 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Cold water gargling in people with Major Abdominal Surgeries, run by TC Erciyes University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 6 Apr 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Thirst Severity (time frame: Postoperative 8, 12, and 24 hours). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 6 Apr 2026.