Thirst symptoms in patients with heart failure: An integrative review

Abstract Aim To identify the risk and protective factors affecting thirst symptoms in patients with heart failure (HF) and intervention strategies to alleviate thirst symptoms. Design An integrative review. Methods A total of 61 articles were retrieved. Screening yielded a total of 21 articles which were appraised for quality. The quality of studies was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Data Sources Ten electronic databases were searched in October 2023, including Embase, Pubmed, CINAHL, Cochrane, Web of Science, Wiley, CNKI, VIP, CBM and WanFang. In addition, we searched grey databases and manually searched reference lists of included and relevant reviews. Results In total, 1644 articles were retrieved, of which 21 were included. Eight studies addressed the factors. Six themes emerged as risk factors, including demographics, severity of disease, psycho‐environmental, medication, fluid restriction and homeostasis. Conversely, an increase in fluid intake, a high score of sodium restriction diet attitude and using ARB were identified as protective factors. Thirteen studies focus on intervention strategies. Five unique intervention strategies were identified, including Traditional Chinese Medicine, mint‐related interventions, sour‐flavour interventions, improved water restriction and cluster nursing strategy. Conclusion This finding identified the factors associated with thirst symptoms in patients with HF, especially concerning the elaboration of risk factors, which suggests that healthcare professionals should focus on the risk factors for thirst in patients with HF and consciously avoid the occurrence of these risk factors. Additionally, there are considerable cultural differences in interventions, therefore, to increase adherence during symptom management, careful selection of appropriate intervention strategies based on the requirements and preferences of patients is required. While there are some therapies, there aren't enough high‐quality empirical investigations. Thus, multi‐centre, large‐sample studies are also required in subsequent research to demonstrate the interventions' effectiveness. Implications for the Profession The nurse must notice the symptoms of thirst in HF to slow down the disease's progression and improve the patient's physical and emotional well‐being. Reporting Method The review complies with the PRISMA guidelines for reporting systematic reviews. Patient or Public Contribution No patient or public contribution.