Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40544276›Full record

Trial reportBMC oral health2025

The role of compounded mouthwash with or without acyclovir in managing chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis in cancer patients: a randomized controlled trial.

Amira Abdelnasser, Shaimaa El-Ashwah, Salma Elashwah, Mohamed Mabed

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC oral health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Amira AbdelnasserPharmD, Clinical Pharmacy, Oncology Center, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
Shaimaa El-AshwahClinical Haematology, Internal Medicine, Oncology Center, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
Salma ElashwahMedical Oncology, Internal Medicine, Oncology Center, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
Mohamed MabedClinical Haematology, Internal Medicine, Oncology Center, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt. mohmabed@mans.edu.eg.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundChemotherapy-induced oral mucositis (CIOM) is a prevalent and debilitating condition observed in cancer patients, especially in those suffering from hematologic malignancies. The present study assessed the efficacy of a compounded mouthwash, both with and without the addition of acyclovir, in the management of CIOM. Although various treatment options exist for this condition, their effectiveness remains limited, underscoring the necessity for innovative approaches to the formulation of compounded mouthwashes for improved management of CIOM.

methodsA prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled study design with 110 patients with newly diagnosed acute leukemia or who underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Participants were allocated randomly to either the acyclovir-containing mouthwash group (Arm A) or the control group without acyclovir (Arm B). The incidence, duration, and severity of mucositis were assessed via standardized scale, the World Health Organization (WHO) scale for oral mucositis.

resultsThe incidence of mucositis was significantly lower in Arm A (25.5%) compared to Arm B (45.5%), with a p-value of 0.028. Furthermore, the duration of mucositis was significantly shorter in Arm A, exhibiting a median duration of 4.5 days, in contrast to a median of 7.5 days observed in Arm B (p = 0.01). Grade 3 mucositis was absent in the acyclovir group, whereas there were five cases reported in Arm B (p = 0.045). Logistic regression analysis corroborated the protective effect of the acyclovir-containing mouthwash against the development of mucositis, yielding an odds ratio (OR) of 2.444 with a p-value of 0.03.

conclusionsThe incorporation of acyclovir into compounded mouthwash significantly reduced the incidence, severity, and duration of oral mucositis in patients undergoing chemotherapy, indicating its potential for expanded clinical application. Further large-scale studies are warranted to validate these findings and to standardize mouthwash formulations for institutional utilization.

trial registrationThis trial was approved by the Institutional Research Board (IRB) under the code R.23.05. 2176.R1. Date: 20 May 2023.

Indexed as

AcyclovirAntineoplastic AgentsAntiviral AgentsMouthwashesStomatitisAdultAgedDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHematopoietic Stem Cell TransplantationHumansLeukemiaMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesAcyclovirAntineoplastic AgentsAntiviral AgentsMouthwashesAcyclovirChemotherapy-induced oral mucositisCompounded mouthwashHSCTMagic mouthwash

Identifiers

PMID40544276
PMCPMC12182692

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.