More than a sore mouth: patients' experience of oral mucositis.
OBJECTIVE
To explore patients' experience of chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis.


METHODS
Interpretive descriptive, phenomenologic.


METHODS
The cancer center of a metropolitan teaching hospital in South Australia.


METHODS
A purposive sample of six participants undergoing intensive cytotoxic therapy associated with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.


METHODS
Patients were interviewed at different stages of their treatment trajectory and asked to relate their experience of oral mucositis as it developed and resolved.


RESULTS
Participants' reports indicated three distinct phases representing linear time in the course of their mucositis: the preparatory phase, the peak phase, and the persisting phase. Five themes further abstracted were the presence of nurses, therapeutic interventions, manifestations of mucositis, the distress of eating (and not eating), and whether the treatment was worthwhile.


CONCLUSIONS
Oral mucositis is much more than a sore mouth. The effects of mucositis are widespread and can have a marked effect on patients' psychological well-being.


CONCLUSIONS
Care centers often focus on pain control through pharmacologic intervention and overlook the effects of other sequelae. Nurses' role in helping patients to cope with mucositis should encompass more than providing pharmacologic pain relief.
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia. Sally.Borbasi@flinders.edu.au
Sally
S
Borbasi
Kate
K
Cameron
Bev
B
Quested
Ian
I
Olver
Bik
B
To
Dan
D
Evans
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001315:Australia; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000451:nursing*; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000379:methods; D013280:Stomatitis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents