Background Mucositis is one of the most frequent complications in patients receiving chemotherapy. Currently there is no standard treatment, and its management is essentially based on adequate oral hygiene and mouthwashes. In our hospital, the pharmacy department compounds an oral suspension of 250 ml of sodium bicarbonate 3.5 g, gentamycin 47 mg, hydrocortisone 58 mg, nystatin 3 000 000 UI and mepivacaine 50 mg.

Purpose The objective was to evaluate the profile of use of the mucositis compounded suspension (MCS) in patients with mucositis induced by chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy during their hospital stay.

Material and methods Observational, descriptive, retrospective cohort study. Patients that developed mucositis during their hospital stay between September 2014 and June 2015 were included.

The electronic prescriptions and medical records were reviewed and the following data were collected: patient characteristics (age, gender), clinical variables (presence of mucositis and grade, neutropenia and opportunistic infections), suspected treatment causing mucositis, drugs involved and treatment of the mucositis (use of MCS, dosage regimen, use of other drugs, date of resolution). The severity of mucositis was assessed using the World Health Organisation toxicity scale (grade I, II, III, IV).

Results 70 patients were included (80% women). Median age was 69 years (SD 1.85). Mucositis severity: grade I (65%), II (24%), III and IV (11%). At admission, 32% of patients presented with neutropenia and 57% also opportunistic infections.

Suspected causes of mucositis were chemotherapy (73%) and radiotherapy (27%). The drugs that were most associated with mucositis were: cisplatin (14%), etoposide (13%), oxaliplatino (11%) and 5-fluorouracil (9%).

All patients received MCS for the treatment of mucositis. The dosage regimens were: every 8 h (87%), every 6 h (5%), every 12 h (3%) and every 4 h (1%). Median duration of treatment was 6 days (IQR 3–12). No adverse reaction to MCS was recorded. In 35% of patients, other drugs were used: bicarbonate (47%), lidocaine (50%), nystatin (41%) and chlorhexidine (7%). In 50% of patients mucositis was resolved by day 8.

Conclusion Patients treated with platinum salts, etoposide and fluorouracil presented with mucositis more frequently. The use of MCS was effective and well tolerated. It is necessary to carry out comparative studies.

No conflict of interest.