Comparison of the Effect of Ice Chips and Water Spray on Thirst, Dry Mouth, and Overweight in Hemodialysis Patients

Background and Objective: Thirst and dry mouth are among the most common symptoms in patients with chronic kidney failure. This study aimed to compare the effects of ice chips and water spray on thirst, dry mouth, and overweight in patients undergoing hemodialysis. Materials and Methods: This research was a three-group clinical trial involving 90 patients on hemodialysis. Participants were selected using the convenience sampling method and randomly assigned to three groups of 30. Group A received the ice chips intervention, Group B received the water spray intervention, and Group C served as the control group. The Numeric Rating Scale was used to assess the severity and discomfort of thirst, and the xerostomia inventory was used to evaluate the degree of dry mouth before each dialysis session. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27 with chi-square tests, one-way ANOVA, and post-hoc Scheffe tests. Results: The results indicated that the differences between the three groups in the mean severity and discomfort of thirst, dry mouth, and overweight before and after the intervention were significant (P<0.05). In the ice chip group, the mean severity of thirst decreased from 4.86±1.94 to 3.76±1.52, the discomfort of thirst decreased from 5.52±1.91 to 3.73±1.61, and dry mouth decreased from 5.39±23.46 to 3.30±9.18. The difference in mean overweight between the ice chip and water spray groups was not significant (P>0.05); however, both groups had significant differences compared to the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion: The use of ice chips was more effective than water spray in reducing the severity, discomfort of thirst, and dry mouth among patients in the ice chip group. Therefore, it is recommended that patients consume ice chips.