Bicarbonate Versus Alternative Treatments in Chemotherapy Oral Mucositis in Children: A Systematic Review of Randomized Clinical Trials

Aims: To investigate the effectiveness of alternative treatments (honey, olive oil, aloe vera) in children with chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis, compared to the use of sodium bicarbonate.

Study Design: The study consists of a systematic and qualitative review using the PRISMA 2020 guidelines through a search for articles was conducted in May 2024 in the PubMed, VHL, Embase and Google Scholar databases, with the following terms in the search strategy: Mucositis AND Child AND Chemotherapy AND Clinical Trial, including clinical trials that met the eligibility criteria.

Results: Three randomized clinical trials comparing the use of olive oil, honey and aloe vera with sodium bicarbonate were analyzed and classified as moderate risk of bias. The alternative treatments were effective in reducing oral mucositis and delaying its onset, with statistically significant differences in relation to bicarbonate.

Conclusion: It seems that honey, olive oil and aloe vera may be a promising approach to minimizing the symptoms of this condition, as well as being more accessible and practical options for improving patients' quality of life.