An interventional study of Chewing Gum and Cold Water Gargle in Sore Throat, Dysphagia and Patient Satisfaction, sponsored by Ankara University. Completed at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-23.
Sponsored by Ankara University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care
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.
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.
871 studies on the registry are indexed under Deglutition Disorders; 237 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 108 is above the median of 60 across 578 interventional studies indexed under Deglutition Disorders.
Browse Deglutition Disorders studies →Ankara University is the lead sponsor of 320 studies on the registry; 64 are open to participants now.
Compared within Deglutition Disorders, this study's primary condition as ClinicalTrials.gg classifies it; the registry's first condition term is Pharyngitis. The counts are of registry records indexed under each term, refreshed daily. How we classify →
The criteria were revised on the registry on Oct 20, 2026. See what changed
Inclusion Criteria
Being 18 years of age or older Being scheduled for a non-emergency bronchoscopy Having normal speech and swallowing functions Being conscious and able to communicate Agreeing to participate and providing written Exclusion Criteria
Gastroesophageal reflux Signs of active infection in the oral or throat region Use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) Any drug allergy therapy during the week before the procedure Anatomical or functional impairment that prevents chewing gum or gargling Undergoing emergency interventional bronchoscopy
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Corticosteroids (steroids)
Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Patients in this group will chew sugar-free xylitol gum for 15 minutes immediately before bronchoscopy.
Behavioral: Chewing Gum
Patients in this group will gargle with cold water (8-12°C) twice for 30 seconds each, 15 minutes before bronchoscopy.
Behavioral: Cold Water Gargle
Patients in this group will receive standard care without additional interventions.
Patients will chew sugar-free xylitol gum for 15 minutes immediately before the bronchoscopy procedure
Patients will gargle with cold water (8-12°C) twice for 30 seconds each, 15 minutes before the bronchoscopy procedure.
Severity of Post-Bronchoscopy Sore Throat
Sore throat severity was assessed using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS), where 0 represents "no pain" and 10 represents "very severe pain." Higher scores indicate greater pain severity.
Time frame: Baseline (pre-procedure), 2nd hour, and 24th hour post-procedure.
Severity of Post-Bronchoscopy Dysphagia
Dysphagia severity was assessed using the Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10), a 10-item scale with total scores ranging from 0 to 40. Higher scores indicate more severe dysphagia; a score of 3 or higher is considered abnormal.
Time frame: Baseline (pre-procedure), 2nd hour, and 24th hour post-procedure.
Patient Satisfaction Level
Patient satisfaction was assessed using the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire Short Form (PSQ-18), which includes seven subscales: general satisfaction, technical quality, interpersonal manner, communication, financial aspects, time spent with the doctor, and accessibility and convenience.
Time frame: Before bronchoscopy and 24 hours after the procedure.
Plan to share: No — Individual participant data will not be shared to protect participant privacy and confidentiality.
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
This study is completed, as verified in Oct 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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