Oral cryotherapy by Kangfuxin for prophylaxis of oral mucositis in patients undergoing autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Oral mucositis is a common complication in patients undergoing autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT), and currently, there is no universally effective treatment. This study aims to evaluate the preventive and delaying effects of oral cryotherapy using Kangfuxin (KFX) on oral mucositis in auto-HSCT patients. A total of 86 patients, treated between January 2020 and August 2023, were randomly assigned into 2 groups: the control group (40 cases) received cryotherapy using frozen physiological saline ice cubes, and the experimental group (46 cases) received KFX ice cubes. Both treatments started 30 minutes before melphalan infusion, and continued until the end of the infusion. The primary outcome was the incidence and severity of oral mucositis, with secondary outcomes including pain levels and patient-reported general condition. The experimental group demonstrated a significantly higher proportion of patients with grade 0 oral mucositis compared to the control group. Furthermore, the incidence of grade III-IV oral mucositis in the control group was 32.5%, compared to 10.8% in the experimental group, showing a statistically significant difference (P < .05). The experimental group had fewer days of using lidocaine mouthwash and lower pain scores, showing statistically significant differences (P < .05). In conclusion, our findings suggest that KFX oral cryotherapy can be an effective approach for preventing and reducing the severity of oral mucositis in patients undergoing auto-HSCT. It may help alleviates the symptoms such as pain and discomfort, thereby improving patient well-being during treatment.