Aim and objective. To investigate if oral cryotherapy during myeloablative therapy may influence frequency and severity of
mucositis, nutritional status and infection rate after bone marrow transplantation.
Background. Patients treated with intensive myeloablative treatment before bone marrow transplantation are all at risk to
develop mucositis. Oral mucositis causes severe pain and oral dysfunction, which can contribute to local and systemic infections
and bleeding; it may even interrupt cancer therapy. Oral mucositis also decreases the oral food intake, which increases the risk
for malnutrition and infection. Reduced food intake, loss of fat and muscles, alterations in energy and substrate metabolism
leads to malnutrition.
Design. A randomised controlled trial with a random assignment to experimental or control group.
Method. A stratified randomisation was used with regard to the type of transplantation. Mucositis was measured on WHO
mucositis scale. Number of days of total parenteral nutrition, infection rate, weight, albumin levels and days at hospital was
compared.