Background: oral hydration has typically not been administered for between 4 and 6 hours postoperative for children’s safety. But children are more likely to suffer from apnea, crying and agitation, wound bleeding, and other complications during the post-anesthesia recovery period because of thirsty and fear. This Prospective, randomized study sought to assess the compare the early and late oral hydration (EOH and DOH, respectively) in children following general anesthesia, with the goal of assessing relative safety and tolerability and thereby improving patient comfort. Methods : A total of 2,000 children corresponding to the American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) I-III were randomized into an EOH group (n=1000) and a DOH group (n=1000). For the former group, children were administered a small amount of drinking water following recovery of the swallowing reflex, and children's vital signs were monitored for 20 minutes in a postanesthesia care unit (PACU). DOH group patients received water at 4 h following general anesthesia). All patients underwent monitoring to assess their thirst, satisfaction, oropharyngeal discomfort, nausea, and vomiting. Results: Complete data were collected from a total of 1770 patients (EOH=832, DOH=938) and was compared via chi-squared and t-tests as appropriate. There was no hypoxemia in either group, nor did the incidence of nausea and vomiting differ between the two groups (P>0.05). The thirst score of the EOH group was significantly decreased relative to the DOH group in the children over 5 years old after drinking for 10 to 20 minutes (P<0.05). Conclusions: For children undergoing general anesthesia, a small amount of drinking water in the early stages of recovery will not increase the incidence of nausea, vomiting, or hypoxemia, but will decrease thirst and improve satisfaction. It is important, however, that medical staff carefully monitor the swallowing reflex and vital signs of all children.

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Background: The feasibility and safety of giving a small amount of water to children in the recovery period after tonsillectomy under general anesthesia to reduce the thirst and its associated restlessness reaction remain unknown. Methods: This study was approved by our institutional ethics committee, and which adhered to CONSORT guidelines. Pediatric patients undergoing tonsil surgery who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria of our study were randomized into the experimental and control groups. In the experimental group, patients were given a small amount of water instantly after recovering from the general anesthesia, which included the recovery of cough and deglutition reflex, and attaining grade V of muscle strength. The control group was given a small amount of water 4 to 6 hours after the operation. The incidence of nausea and vomiting and the degree of thirst relief were measured and compared between the two groups. Results：300 patients were randomized into each group. There was no significant difference in the incidence of nausea and vomiting 20 minutes after drinking water between the two groups (P>0.05). The thirst score of children over 5 years old in the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion: The early administration of a small amount of oral fluid in children undergoing tonsil surgery and recovering from the general anesthesia is not only safe but also effective in reducing postoperative thirst. Trial registration: Current Controlled Trials ChiCTR1800020058, 12-12-2018.