Context

Ulcerative oral conditions, infectious (herpetic gingivostomatitis, herpangina, hand, foot and mouth disease) and non-infectious (pharyngitis, gingivostomatitis and aphthous), are often observed in children.1 While most conditions are benign, they can be highly painful, impair food intake, and, more specifically, result in dehydration in young children.

Aetiological therapies of viral ulcerations are of low efficacy and interest in the case of emergency treatment. Other treatments, which solely treat the symptoms of painful mouth ulcers, are essentially anaesthetics (eg, lidocaine, benzocaine and diphenhydramine) or coating agents (such as sucralfate, Maalox, milk of magnesia and Kaopectate).2 ,3

Until now, no study has evaluated the effect of viscous lidocaine on liquid oral intake …