Indian J Palliat Care, 2012 Sep;18(3):190-5
BACKGROUND:
Radiation mucositis is an early effect of head and neck
radiotherapy. Mucositis can cause ulcers, and patients may experience pain and
dysphagia which need proper management. This study was conducted in 60 patients
with oral malignancy.
AIM:
To evaluate the effect of natural honey and 0.15%
benzydamine hydrochloride on onset and severity of radiation mucositis and to
compare it with control.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
This study was conducted in the Department of Oral Medicine
and Radiology, Tamilnadu Government Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, from
April to December 2010. The sample size comprised of 60 patients, of both
genders, diagnosed with oral malignancy clinically and histopathologically and
planned for radiotherapy. The patients were assigned into three groups by
random sampling. Each group consisted of 20 patients. Group 1 patients were
instructed for topical application of natural honey, groups 2 and 3 were
instructed for topical application of 0.15% benzydamine hydrochloride and 0.9%
normal saline respectively. The onset of mucositis and the severity of
mucositis were graded during the course of the radiotherapy and two weeks after
radiotherapy, with WHO mucositis grading in all the three groups and statistically
analysed with SPSS version 11 software.
RESULTS:
A significant reduction in mucositis in honey-received
patients compared with 0.15% benzydamine hydrochloride, 0.9% normal saline
applied patients occurred. The differences between the groups were
statistically significant (P < 0.001).
CONCLUSION:
Pure natural honey can be an effective agent in managing
radiation induced oral mucositis. Honey could be a simple, potent and
inexpensive agent, which is easily available, and it can be a better
therapeutic agent in managing radiation mucositis in developing countries like
India for the management of this morbidity.
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