Article Text
Abstract
Background Cancer is a disease that is also encountered in children and requires an intensive treatment process. Chemotherapy medications and radiotherapy also harm healthy mucosa cells and cause mucositis while destroying malign cells.
Aim Evaluation of mucositis in paediatric oncology patients.
Method Review of the studies conducted on this field.
Result Children have difficulty in eating and drinking, and may refuse to eat due to pain, bleeding, ulceration, xerostomia, changes in the taste and malnutrition experienced during mucositis. Evaluation of mucositis is difficult due to their inability to cooperate for evaluation because of their young ages, the need for fast and easily-applied rating scale special to children, and the needs of the medical personnel and family to be trained about mucositis. World Health Organisation’s rating can be used in evaluation of mucositis. This is a simple rating scale, can be used for young children, and takes a short time to use. Another evaluation scale is developed by National Cancer Institute. In this scale; effect of symptoms and findings of mucositis are determined on functions such as eating and rating is performed. “Oral Health Evaluation Guide” assessing other structures inside the mouth can also be used. This scale is modified for child and parents. Another scale is Children’s International Mucositis Evaluation Scale.
Conclusion It is recommended for healthcare organisations to perform the evaluation of mucositis by using comprehensible scales before and after the treatment. Damages of mucositis can be prevented or reduced by considering these recommendations and scales.