Determination of Factors Affecting Postoperative Thirst Discomfort and General Comfort Levels in Abdominal Surgery Patients: A Cross-Sectional Research

Objective: This study aimed to determine factors affecting postoperative thirst discomfort and overall comfort in patients undergoing abdominal surgery. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2024 to January 2025 at Dokuz Eylul University's General Surgery Department with abdominal surgery patients. Using purposive sampling, 150 patients who consented were included. Data were analyzed in SPSS 29.0 using descriptive statistics, t-test, Mann-Whitney U, correlation, and linear regression. Results: Half of the patients were female, and 50.66% underwent upper abdominal surgery. Thirst discomfort was significantly affected by surgery type, cardiovascular and endocrine comorbidities, and the presence of a surgical drain, urinary catheter, and constipation. Significant relationships were also found between thirst discomfort and duration of surgery, preoperative pain and thirst levels, postoperative pain, and time to postoperative feeding. Similarly, general comfort was significantly influenced by surgery type, cardiovascular and endocrine comorbidities, and constipation. Duration of surgery, preoperative pain and thirst levels, postoperative pain, and feeding time were also significantly associated with general comfort. Cardiovascular and endocrine comorbidities, duration of surgery, and preoperative thirst were identified as predictors of thirst discomfort (R²=0.64; p<0.01), while surgery type and constipation were predictors of general comfort (R²=0.33; p<0.01). Conclusion: The study demonstrated that postoperative thirst discomfort and overall comfort in abdominal surgery patients are influenced by various sociodemographic and perioperative factors. Cardiovascular and endocrine comorbidities, longer surgery duration, and higher preoperative thirst significantly predicted thirst discomfort, whereas surgery type and constipation were key predictors of general comfort.