Xerostomia in Patients With a Life-limiting Condition or Frailty

Summary

Xerostomia, the subjective feeling of dry mouth, is a common symptom during the last year of life in patients with a life-limiting condition or frailty. Xerostomia leads to functional alterations (such as burning sensations, an altered taste perception, and difficulties with chewing, swallowing, and speaking), has disabling social consequences and significantly downgrades the perceived quality of life. It is an under-exposed and under-treated symptom often caused by alterations in the quality and quantity of saliva. Locally administered pilocarpine could be a promising drug in this regard as it alleviates xerostomia by increasing the production of saliva.

Timeline

Start

2023-01

Primary completion

2025-02

Completion

2025-06

Publications

• Background Theunissen M, Rideaux-Seferina S, Magdelijns FJ, Janssen DJA, van den Beuken-van Everdingen MHJ. Local Oral Pilocarpine Drops for Relieving Xerostomia (Dry Mouth) in the Elderly: A Pilot Study. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2021 Jan;22(1):185-186. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2020.06.036. Epub 2020 Aug 13. No abstract available.
• van der Meulen AI, Neis EPJG, de Nijs EJM, Coenegracht BJEG, Stoppelenburg A, van den Beuken-van Everdingen MHJ, van der Linden YM. Dry mouth in patients with a life-limiting condition or frailty: a study protocol for two intervention studies and a nested qualitative sub-study (the Dry mOuth Project, DROP). BMC Palliat Care. 2023 Aug 23;22(1):120. doi: 10.1186/s12904-023-01242-0.

Drugs

Indications

No indication recorded.