There is evidence that ice is effective in relieving thirst in surgical patients, because, by stimulating the oral receptors sensitive to cold, ice decreases the need to ingest large volumes of liquids to satisfy thirst. This way, the risk of bronchoaspiration due to gastric fullness is avoided and discomfort with dry mouth is reduced. Preliminary evidence, therefore, indicates that the use of ice chips have greater efficacy than water at room temperature in relieving thirst. However, there is no scientific evidence from controlled studies with results that can be generalized with respect to a safe volume and adequate frequency of ice administered to reduce thirst in the immediate postoperative period.Considering that the gold standard for the study of a symptom is based on individuals' perceptions and their reports, this study is justified in order to assess the effectiveness of ice compared with water at room temperature in relieving thirst in the immediate postoperative period.