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Chewing Gum and Cold Gargle on Post-Bronchoscopy Symptoms

The Effect of Chewing Gum and Gargling With Cold Water on Post-Bronchoscopy Sore Throat, Dysphagia, and Patient Satisfaction: A Randomized Controlled Study

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT07517926
Enrollment
100
Registered
2026-04-08
Start date
2025-11-10
Completion date
2026-05-11
Last updated
2026-04-13

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Bronchoscopy, Dysphagia, Patient Satisfaction, Sore Throat

Keywords

Bronchoscopy, Sore Throat, Dysphagia, Chewing Gum, Cold Water Gargle, Nursing Care

Brief summary

This study aims to evaluate the effects of chewing gum and gargling with cold water on common post-bronchoscopy symptoms, such as sore throat and difficulty swallowing (dysphagia). Bronchoscopy is a procedure that can cause temporary throat discomfort. In this randomized controlled trial, patients will be divided into groups to receive either chewing gum, cold water gargle, or standard care. The researchers will then measure and compare patient satisfaction levels and the severity of throat symptoms to determine if these simple interventions can improve patient comfort after the procedure.

Detailed description

Study Implementation and Procedures All patients in the intervention and control groups will be informed about the study's purpose. Patients undergoing bronchoscopy receive routine verbal education from bronchoscopy nurses. In addition to routine education, the intervention groups will receive specific instructions from the researchers. Patients will be blinded to their randomization status and study hypotheses. However, researchers will not be blinded as they will perform the interventions. The chewing gum and cold water gargle procedures will be explained and demonstrated to the intervention groups during face-to-face interviews. Chewing Gum Procedure All patients will follow the hospital's standard pre-procedure fasting protocol (8 hours of fasting). A researcher will be responsible for supervising the chewing gum procedure. Patients in this group will be asked to chew a commercially available sugar-free gum containing xylitol for 15 minutes immediately before the procedure. After 15 minutes of chewing, patients will discard the gum. The researcher will ensure the gum is removed before the patient is admitted for bronchoscopy. Patients will be strictly instructed not to swallow the gum. Cold Water Gargle Procedure Patients in this group will perform a cold water gargle under the supervision of a researcher 15 minutes before the procedure. Patients will be instructed not to swallow the water. The researcher will prepare the water at a temperature between 8-12°C (refrigerator coldness). Patients will gargle twice for 30 seconds each, approximately 15 minutes before the procedure. Control Group The control group will receive standard hospital procedures without any additional intervention. Data Collection and Evaluation Sore throat, difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), and patient satisfaction levels will be evaluated before the procedure, and at the 2nd and 24th hours post-procedure. The 24-hour evaluation will be conducted via telephone by the research team.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALChewing Gum

Patients will chew sugar-free xylitol gum for 15 minutes immediately before the bronchoscopy procedure

BEHAVIORALCold Water Gargle

Patients will gargle with cold water (8-12°C) twice for 30 seconds each, 15 minutes before the bronchoscopy procedure.

Sponsors

Ankara University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)

Masking description

Patients are blinded to their group assignment and study hypotheses. Researchers administering the interventions are not blinded.

Intervention model description

This is a three-arm, randomized, parallel-group study comparing two interventions (chewing gum and cold water gargle) with a standard care control group

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* • Being 18 years of age or older * Having a scheduled diagnostic bronchoscopy * Having normal speech and swallowing functions * Being conscious and able to communicate * Volunteering to participate in the study

Exclusion criteria

* • Complications during bronchoscopy * Gastroesophageal reflux * Use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs * Receiving steroid treatment within 1 week prior to the procedure * Active infection or disease in the mouth or throat area * History of allergy or intolerance to the procedure * Previous anatomical or functional impediment to chewing gum or gargling

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Severity of Post-Bronchoscopy Sore ThroatBaseline (pre-procedure), 2nd hour, and 24th hour post-procedure.Sore throat severity will be measured using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS), where 0 represents 'no pain' and 10 represents 'the most severe pain imaginable.' Higher scores indicate greater pain severity.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Severity of Post-Bronchoscopy DysphagiaBaseline (pre-procedure), 2nd hour, and 24th hour post-procedure.Dysphagia severity will be measured using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS), where 0 represents "no difficulty swallowing" and 10 represents "extreme difficulty swallowing." Higher scores indicate greater difficulty swallowing
Patient Satisfaction Level2nd hour and 24th hour post-procedure.Patient satisfaction with the procedure and post-operative comfort will be measured using a satisfaction scale (e.g., 0-10 scale or a specific survey). Higher scores indicate higher satisfaction levels.

Countries

Turkey (Türkiye)

Contacts

CONTACTNeriman Yükseltürk Şimşek, PHD
nerimansimsek@ankara.edu.tr0312 3042242
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORneriman yükseltürk şimşek

ankara u

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Apr 14, 2026