Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36597048›Full record

SynthesisBMC oral health2023

Prevention and the treatment of oral mucositis: the efficacy of sodium bicarbonate vs other agents: a systematic review.

O Di Fede, F Canepa, L Maniscalco, P Tozzo, D Matranga, G Giuliana

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC oral health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
7.0field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
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

8 citing papers in PubMed, 27 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Effectiveness of oral mucositis management based on MASCC/ISOO guidelines in pediatric oncology patients: a randomized controlled trial.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
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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

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

O Di Fede *Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences (Di.Chir.On.S.), University of Palermo, Via L. Giuffrè 5, 90127, Palermo, Italy.
F Canepa *Department of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences (Di.Chir.On.S.), University of Palermo, Via L. Giuffrè 5, 90127, Palermo, Italy. canepafederica86@gmail.com.
L ManiscalcoDepartment of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
P TozzoU.O.C. of Stomatology, Ospedali Riuniti "Villa Sofia-Cervello" of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
D MatrangaDepartment of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
G GiulianaDepartment of Surgical, Oncological and Oral Sciences (Di.Chir.On.S.), University of Palermo, Via L. Giuffrè 5, 90127, Palermo, Italy.
University of Palermo · ITOspedale Vincenzo Cervello · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionOral mucositis (OM) is a major side effect of cancer therapy, which is associated with significant symptoms, treatment delays and increased costs for the health system. It is an important component of the quality of life of cancer patients and, until now, there has been no gold standard regarding prevention or treatment of this pathology. Notwithstanding the paucity of treatment guidelines (due to limited evidence from high-quality, rigorous studies), sodium bicarbonate (SB) rinses are one of the most used agents for OM management.

objectivesA systematic review (2000-2022) was performed in order to compare and examine different agents versus sodium bicarbonate (SB) in preventing or treating OM. SOURCES: Eleven randomized controlled trials (RCT) were evaluated: four were conducted for the prevention and seven for the management of OM. The risk of bias of RCTs was assessed using the revised Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized trials. STUDY SELECTION: According to the RoB2 evaluation for randomized trials, four RCTs were judged to be at a high risk of bias, two were rated as 'problematic', while five were deemed to be a low risk of bias.

conclusionsThe results revealed that there was no evidence for supporting SB in OM treatment regarding management and prevention. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Results showed in this review takes on a strategic importance in the use of SB for OM management or prevention; indiscriminate use of SB could be counterproductive because it causes a sudden pH increase and it delays proper OM pharmacological treatment.

Indexed as

NeoplasmsStomatitisHumansSodium BicarbonateSodium BicarbonateBaking sodaOral mucositisSodium bicarbonate

Identifiers

PMID36597048
PMCPMC9811717
OpenAlexW4313524068

What OpenQuestion 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 OpenQuestion graph.