The effect of administering warm water on bowel movements in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy surgeries during early postoperative stage

ABSTRACTÇalışkan N., The Effect of Administering Warm Water on Bowel Movements in Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Surgeries During Early Postoperative Stage, Gazi University Institute of Medical Sciences Nursing Program, Master Thesis, Ankara, 2012.This randomized controlled trial and experimental study was conducted in Hacettepe University Adult Hospital General Surgical Clinics between May 25 and December 30,2011 and was aimed at determining the effect of oral administration of warm water during the postoperative initial stage on the time of first flatus in patients who had undergone laparoscopic cholecystectomy surgeries. In the trial design,30 patients were included in the experimental group and 30 in the control group. The patients in the experimental group received 200 ml of warm water at 37 ? C on the 4th hour following the surgery for 15 minutes;thereafter their oral intake was interrupted and on the 8th hour following the surgery,the patients were started on fluid and soft foods and, depending on the toleration level of the patient, regular food intake was initiated. However, patients in the control group received no special treatment and their first oral intake was administered as the same as the experimental group on the 8th hour.In the analysis of the data and percentage numbers,significance tests such as Chi-square and Fisher?s exact test, student?s t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test, Kruskal-Wallis variance and correlation analysis were used.The results of the data were considered reliable and statistically significant when they were in the reliability interval of 95% and P< 0.05. No significant differences were found between the patients in the experimental and control group in terms of demographic features,bowel habits,surgery durations, postoperative applications,nausea/vomiting conditions and initial mobilization times (p>0.05).Groups were homogeneously distributed.The times of initial flatus between the patients in the experimental and control group were found statistically significant (p<0.05);whereas,no significant difference was detected in terms of the times of stool (p>0.05).It was found that oral intake of warm water during the early postoperative stage affected bowel functions and shortened the time of initial flatus.Oral warm water intake after surgeries is also suggested for different patient groups.