Roles of Nurses in Assessing, Preventing and Reducing Severity of Oral Mucositis in Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy

Abstract

Oral mucositis (OM) in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy is an important complication affecting their psychophysiology and treatment plan. Patients with OM may receive treatments with lower dosages of the chemotherapy agents and are more likely to discontinue treatment, or experience severe oral infections, leading to death. The purpose of this paper is to review the pathophysiology of OM, its effects, and nursing care, including assessment for OM and nursing care to prevent and relieve OM in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. The author reviewed both experimental research and academic articles using PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcomes) to frame the search terms. As a result, five phases of OM ranging from pre-chemotherapy to post treatment periods were revealed. Assessment of OM can be done using different types of assessment tools suitable for both the practitioners and patients. Nursing care for patients with OM includes such things as oral care, suitable diet, cryotherapy, and mouth washing with virgin coconut oil. The severity of OM can be reduced by using pain relief medicines, ensuring adequate hydration and nutrition, and providing psychological support. Nurses, being the members of the health care team having the closest contact with patients, can provide effective care to improve the patients’ quality of care and life.