MacDibbs Mouth Assessment. A new tool to evaluate mucositis in the radiation therapy patient.
OBJECTIVE
The purposes of this descriptive, longitudinal study were to evaluate the MacDibbs Mouth Assessment instrument for the assessment of mucositis in the radiation therapy patient being treated for head and neck cancer and to describe the course of radiation-induced mucositis in these patients.


METHODS
This pilot study used self-report and provider assessment, as well as medical record review, to obtain data about ambulatory radiation therapy outpatients (n = 10). The participants were primarily male, white, middle-aged, married or partnered, unemployed, edentulous, currently smoking, and using alcohol.


RESULTS
One or more mucositis ulcers were observed in all patients and occurred at an average of 2858.2 cGy. The corresponding Mouth Symptom Score was 5.9 (instrument range 0-21). Interrater reliability for 13 of the 14 items was 100%. The one difficulty encountered with the MacDibbs was in the measurement of ulcers longer than the periodontal probe used to measure them.


CONCLUSIONS
The MacDibbs should prove useful for clinicians and researchers because it is efficient, easy to use, emphasizes accurate diagnosis of oral changes, has an easily discernible endpoint, and assesses signs and symptoms.
Dibble
S L
SL
Department of Physological Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
Shiba
G
G
MacPhail
L
L
Dodd
M J
MJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000532:radiotherapy; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D009909:Oral Health; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013280:Stomatitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing* / Q000473:pathology*