{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,9]],"date-time":"2026-10-09T18:49:02Z","timestamp":1791571742852,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":21,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,9]],"date-time":"2026-10-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1791504000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":8,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]],"date-time":"2026-10-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790812800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Nursing Open"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,10]]},"abstract":"ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n \n Background and Aim<\/jats:title>\n In ICU patients, particularly after extubation, thirst is a common and troubling symptom. Although earlier research has focused mainly on quantifying thirst severity and its clinical correlates, less is known about the subjective experiences of patients, including their emotional responses, sense of helplessness, help\u2010seeking actions, and the challenges they face in obtaining relief within the ICU. Therefore, this study aimed to examine how post\u2010extubation ICU patients experience thirst and the strategies they use to manage or alleviate it.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods and Materials<\/jats:title>\n Between January and August 2024, this qualitative research was carried out in Tehran, Iran, using conventional content analysis. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling, and data were collected via semi\u2010structured interviews conducted in Persian with 20 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) following extubation. Interviews proceeded until data saturation occurred, and even though they were held after extubation, the thirst experiences participants reported mostly pertained to the time of mechanical ventilation and intubation. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) guideline was followed in this study.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n Three main categories were identified in this study: \u2018Unrelieved Thirst\u2019 (Hope despite Disappointment and Cognitive and Emotional Burden of Thirst), \u2018Seeking Relief\u2019 (Spiritual Coping and Endurance and Non\u2010Verbal Pleading for Water), and \u2018Emotional Collapse and Withdrawal\u2019 (Resigned Withdrawal and Emotional Isolation and Perceived Neglect). Participants experienced persistent thoughts about water, employed spiritual coping strategies, used gestures without words to express thirst, and eventually emotionally withdrew when their needs were persistently ignored.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n The study revealed that post\u2010extubation thirst is experienced as a deeply upsetting phenomenon affecting physical, psychological, and existential levels, where patients face physical discomfort, emotional distress, challenges in communication, and a sense of being overlooked in the ICU.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Implications for the Profession and\/or Patient Care<\/jats:title>\n The findings highlight the urgent necessity for systematic thirst assessment, improved non\u2010verbal communication techniques, and compassionate, patient\u2010focused nursing care to reduce thirst\u2010related distress. Healthcare providers must be trained to identify both verbal and non\u2010verbal thirst signals and to incorporate patients' cultural and spiritual resources into supportive care.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Impact<\/jats:title>\n The research delivers a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted nature of thirst in ICU patients, demonstrating that unresolved thirst may result in emotional collapse and withdrawal. It highlights the significance of managing thirst as an essential human requirement in critical care.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Reporting Method<\/jats:title>\n The study followed the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) guideline.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Patient or Public Contribution<\/jats:title>\n No patient or public contribution.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1002\/nop2.70912","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,9]],"date-time":"2026-10-09T17:51:31Z","timestamp":1791568291000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Post\u2010Extubation Recall of Thirst During Mechanical Ventilation Among Intensive Care Unit Patients: A Conventional Content Analysis"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Alireza","family":"Sadeghi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Student Research Committee, School of Nursing and Midwifery Tehran University of Medical Sciences Tehran Iran"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-0071-296X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Amir Mohamad","family":"Nazari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medical\u2010Surgical Nursing, Student Research Committee, School of Nursing and Midwifery Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Tehran Iran"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9565-1399","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alun C.","family":"Jackson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Australian Centre for Heart Health Melbourne Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Elham","family":"Khedmati","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Allied Medical Sciences Tehran University of Medical Sciences Tehran Iran"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2015-0204","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fatemeh","family":"Bahramnezhad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing and Midwifery, Nursing and Midwifery Care Research Center Tehran University of Medical Sciences Tehran Iran"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_14_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/j.glmedi.2024.100051","article-title":"The Pillars of Trustworthiness in Qualitative Research","volume":"2","author":"Ahmed S. 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