Debridement could be a solution to promote healing of established oral mucositis in children

Abstract

Aim: The aim of the study was to present a novel approach to promote healing of established oral mucositis and to alleviate symptom clusters in a group of children who were on induction chemotherapy.

Study design: A clinical prospective study.

Methods: Children (40) diagnosed with Grade 3 or 4 oral mucositis were randomly assigned into two groups: In Group I (n=20), accumulated debris on ulcerations was removed (debridement); In Group II (n=20), subjects had no debridement. The condition of oral lesions, speech, lips, teeth, saliva, gingiva, and swallowing ability were examined 3 x week during the study. All subjects received the same oral care regimen. They were well balanced in respect of age, the type of antineoplastic treatment, and the number.

Results: Debridement promoted resolution and decreased the severity of oral mucositis significantly. Thus, the subjects had less oral discomfort, pain, and nutritional difficulties.

Statistics: The data were entered in the SPSS 13.0 program, and the tests used were Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Shapiro-Wilk, Mann-Whitney, and Spearman's correlation coefficient with a 5% significance level.

Conclusion: Well-controlled, prospective clinical studies related to the management of established oral mucositis will lead to the development of potential interventions and improved patient care.