Nursing Management of Oral Mucositis

STATEMENT OF NEED

Oral mucositis (OM) is the inflammation of oral mucosa resulting from cancer therapy and manifesting as atrophy, swelling, erythema, and ulceration (Oronsky et al, 2018). Patients with OM may experience moderate-to-severe pain, difficulty speaking, difficulty eating and drinking, and ulcerations characterized by submucosal hemorrhaging and infection (Bolton, 2021). Due to these crippling effects, OM is considered one of the most debilitating toxicities of cancer therapy (Wilairat et al, 2020). This activity will provide guidance on the nursing management of OM, including appropriate grading of severity, instruments for measuring symptom distress, and guideline-recommended standards of care.

TARGET AUDIENCE

Oncology nurses, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and other health care professionals involved in the treatment of patients with cancer.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

Evaluate the pathogenesis of oral mucositis (OM)
Determine appropriate scales for grading the severity of OM and implement appropriate instruments for measuring symptom distress
Apply the standards of care for OM as defined in the guidelines from the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer and the International Society for Oral Oncology