This research is a randomized, controlled, double-blind, experimental study conducted to investigate the effect of diluted thyme honey on dry mouth in individuals receiving treatment in intensive care and receiving nasal oxygen flow therapy.

H0: There is no significant difference in reducing dry mouth in intensive care patients receiving nasal oxygen flow therapy between the intervention group receiving oral care with diluted thyme honey and the control group receiving standard oral care.

The study sample consisted of 64 inpatients receiving nasal oxygen flow therapy in the Emergency Intensive Care and Emergency Critical Intensive Care Units of Ankara Training and Research Hospital. Patients were divided into groups using a sealed envelope method. Patients in the intervention group received oral care using diluted thyme honey, while patients in the control group received oral care using 0.9% NaCl.

SUMMARY

Backround Dry mouth due to nasal oxygen flow therapy is one of the side effects frequently experienced by patients treated in intensive care units. Although there are various pharmacological and complementary medicine methods for the prevention and treatment of dry mouth, this condition continues to negatively affect the daily lives of patients due to the lack of a definitive method and the neglect of oral care.

Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of diluted thyme honey in preventing dry mouth in intensive care patients receiving nasal oxygen flow therapy.

Desing This study has a randomized controlled experimental design.

Methods This study included 64 intensive care unit patients receiving nasal oxygen flow therapy. It was a randomized controlled experimental study consisting of intervention (thyme honey) and control group (0.9% NaCl). Participants were randomized to the groups by closed envelope method. 32 patients were included in both groups. Patients in both groups included in the study underwent the same protocol steps except for the oral care product (thyme honey and 0.9% NaCl). After obtaining consent from the patients who agreed to be included in the study, information about the participants was collected by asking the Patient Information Form prepared by the researcher. The Subjective Dry Mouth Form was administered to the participants before the start of the study and at the end of the 3rd day when the application protocols were completed. After the applications were completed, the pre-test and post-test scores of the patients in response to each question in the 'Subjective Dry Mouth Evaluation Form' and their answers to an open-ended question about their opinions on thyme honey in the Patient Information Form were combined in the patient follow-up form.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being treated under intensive care conditions and receiving nasal oxygen flow therapy above 4L/min,
• Over 18 years of age,
• Not diagnosed with Sjögren's Syndrome,
• No previous exposure to radiotherapy or chemotherapy,
• Has not had a salivary gland infection,
• Has not undergone an operation to remove the salivary glands,
• Not allergic to honey,
• No chewing or swallowing difficulties,
• Not using thyme-containing products for oral care in the previous period,
• Patients who did not have any communication problems and who voluntarily agreed to participate in the study were included in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

- Patients who did not meet the inclusion criteria and did not voluntarily agree to participate in the study were excluded.

Randomization Participants included in the study were assigned to the intervention or control groups using a simple randomization method involving envelopes. Numbers ranging from 1 to 64, representing patient numbers, were automatically distributed at random via the website https://www.calculatorsoup.com/calculators/statistics/random-number-generator.php, thereby creating "Set 1." It was determined that the first 32 of the 64 randomly arranged numbers in 'Set 1' would represent patients in the intervention group, and the last 32 would represent patients in the control group.

After obtaining consent from the patients participating in the study, they were asked to draw one sealed envelope from a bag containing sealed envelopes with numbers from 1 to 64 written on them. The envelopes drawn by the patients were opened in their presence. The researcher determined which group the patients would be included in, either the intervention or control group, based on the number that came out of the