EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER CARE, cilt.26, sa.5, 2017 (SCI-Expanded)
The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of cryotherapy and chlorhexidine to oral nutrition transition time in chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis. This randomised controlled trial with random assignments to the experimental and control groups was conducted with cancer patients. Study data were collected from 90 cancer patients. The first experimental group (n = 30) received chlorhexidine mouthwash, the second experimental group (n = 30) received oral cryotherapy and the control group (n = 30) received routine care. To collect data we used the 'Mucositis Rating Index'. Changes in patients' oral mucosa in each group were checked and oral feeding transition periods were recorded. There was an important statistical difference between the times of transition to oral nutrition for patients (P < 0.01). Oral nutrition transition time of patients in the first experimental group who had applied chlorhexidine was shorter than in other groups. Following the tests, we detected a significant shortening in oral nutrition transition time of patients in first group who used chlorhexidine gargle as compared to the second group and control group. There was no significant difference between cryotherapy application and control group. In parallel with these findings, we detected that the degree of oral mucositis decreased.