Doctors' experiences of thirst at the end of life

What is it about?

Quenching thirst is a basic human need. But what happens when patients at the end-of-life cannot quench their thirst themselves? What support can palliative care physicians provide against thirst in the dying patient?

Featured Image

Photo by Sonika Agarwal on Unsplash

Photo by Sonika Agarwal on Unsplash

Why is it important?

We found that palliative care physicians had different experiences regarding thirst, from believing that thirst never arising, to a lack of awareness. They thought good mouth care worked well to alleviate the feeling of thirst and dry mouth. Most physicians did not want to give patients drips, while a few did. This study indicates that there are many unanswered questions when it comes to thirst at end-of-life and that further research is needed.