Oral mucositis is a frequent and potentially severe complication that can occur following chemotherapy or irradiation. Not only is mucositis painful but it can also result in impaired nutrition, infection, and treatment delays. Pediatric oncology nurses have a challenge to try to provide the most appropriate mouth care regimen specific to each individual patient. This review of the literature can serve as a guide for helping to prevent and to treat mucositis. It provides information about the chemotherapeutic agents responsible for causing mucositis, many of the preventive approaches used to reduce the incidence of mucositis, and the current treatments available for active mucositis. It also discusses dietary recommendations and the role of the nurse caring for the patient with mucositis.
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Loprinzi, C. , Ghosh, C., Camoriano, J., Sloan, J., Steen, P., Michalak, J., et al. (1997). Phase III controlled evaluation of sucralfate to alleviate stomatitis in patients receiving fluorouracil-based chemotherapy. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 15(3), 1235-1238.
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Okuno, S. , Foote, R., Loprinzi, C., Gulavita, S., Sloan, J., Earle, J., et al. (1997). A randomized trial of a nonabsorbable antibiotic lozenge given to alleviate radiation-induced mucositis. Cancer, 79(11), 2193-2199.
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Tombes, M. , & Gallucci, B. (1993). The effects of hydrogen peroxide rinses on the normal oral mucosa. Nursing Research, 42(6), 332-337.
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Wadleigh, R. , Redman, R., Graham, M., Krasnow, S., Anderson, A., & Cohen, M. (1992). Vitamin E in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced mucositis. The American Journal of Medicine, 92, 481-484.
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