Background: Stomatitis, the inflammation of the mucous lining of any of the oral structures, is a frequent side-effect of anticancer drugs due to excess uric acid production. Strict oral hygiene and the application of an appropriate mouthwash has been reported to relieve pain and improve patient quality of life. Allopurinol is a drug used to treat conditions caused by excess uric acid. The aim of this study to evaluate the effectiveness of prophylactic use of allopurinol mouthwash for stomatitis in patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 42 patients were randomly assigned to either a study group or a control group. In the study group (28 patients), patients used 5 mg/ml allopurinol mouthwash in hydroxyl propyl methyl cellulose. The control group (14 patients) used water instead of the mouthwash. Treatment was administered for 16 days.
Results: Data collected during the daily follow-up of the patients' oral mucosa showed that allopurinol mouthwash decreased the severity, pain and duration of stomatitis.
Conclusion: Preventing stomatitis in patients receiving chemotherapy improves the health of the patient and compliance with treatment. Based on our findings, allopurinol mouthwash should be used for all chemotherapy patients for the prevention of stomatitis. This nursing intervention can also improve the patient's nutritional state and level of satisfaction.