Cheng, K.K., Molassiotis, A., Chang, A.M., Wai, W.C., & Cheung, S.S. (2001). Evaluation of an oral care protocol intervention in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis in pediatric cancer patients. European Journal of Cancer, 37, 2056–2063.
The study was conducted over an eight-month period. The first four months were with the control group, which received routine care, no oral protocol, and the center's standard use of 0.9% sodium chloride (NaCl) and benzydamine hydrochloride rinse to control oral mucositis (OM) when it developed.
The last four months involved the experimental group, which received an oral care protocol consisting of patient education, maintenance of patient diaries, and rinsing with normal saline chlorhexidine every two hours on days 1–21. The oral protocol prescribed toothbrushing; NaCl solution rinse for gums, tongue, and soft tissue; and chlorhexidine rinse every morning and evening, as well as NaCl rinse after each meal and every two hours for the second week only.
This was a prospective, comparative study.
Although the sample is small, the evidence supports the use of normal saline found in other studies.