Oral surgery, oral medicine, and oral pathology
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Oral Surg. Oral Med. Oral Pathol. · Jun 1987
Case ReportsTherapeutic use of chlorhexidine in bone marrow transplant patients: case studies.
Patients undergoing cytotoxic chemotherapy and radiation therapy often experience severe oral complications during and after treatment despite supervised oral hygiene and conventional antimicrobial regimens. The antimicrobial compound chlorhexidine is an effective topical prophylactic agent against oral mucositis and candidiasis. ⋯ In each case, there was clinical resolution of mucositis and a concomitant decrease in the oral microbial burden 1 week after chlorhexidine use began. This strongly suggests that, in addition to its value in protecting these severely immunocompromised patients from oral infection, chlorhexidine also offers a therapeutic benefit in the resolution of existing oral infections and of mucositis.