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Updated: Jul 5, 2026
Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
Establishing literature-based items for an oral mucositis assessment tool in children
Deborah Tomlinson1, Peter Judd, Eleanor Hendershot
1CHES, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Deborah.Tomlinson@sickkids.ca
Insights
A systematic review identified 23 items for assessing pediatric oral mucositis (OM). This research aims to develop a validated scale for children, addressing a gap in current pediatric oncology care.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pediatric Medicine
- Clinical Assessment
Background:
- Oral mucositis (OM) is a common and debilitating side effect of cancer treatment in children.
- Existing OM assessment instruments are primarily validated for adults, lacking pediatric-specific tools.
- There is a critical need for validated instruments to accurately assess OM in pediatric patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review literature for items relevant to pediatric oral mucositis (OM) assessment.
- To identify key considerations for developing a pediatric OM scale.
- To provide a foundation for creating a validated pediatric OM assessment tool.
Main Methods:
- Conducted a systematic literature search using PubMed and bibliography searches.
- Identified articles focusing on mucositis assessment, particularly in pediatric populations.
- Grouped identified assessment elements into objective, subjective, and functional categories.
Main Results:
- A comprehensive list of 23 items for mucositis assessment was compiled from the literature.
- Key considerations for pediatric OM assessment include assessment conditions and etiology.
- The identified items provide a basis for developing a new pediatric OM scale.
Conclusions:
- The identified 23 items represent a crucial first step in developing a pediatric oral mucositis (OM) scale.
- Addressing the unique aspects of OM assessment in children is essential for accurate diagnosis and management.
- This work supports the development of evidence-based tools for pediatric cancer care.
Abstract:
Although there are numerous instruments for oral mucositis (OM) assessment in adults, there is a lack of validated instruments for use in children. The objectives of this systematic review were to describe literature-based items that should be considered for a pediatric mucositis scale and other issues that should be considered when assessing mucositis in children. Literature search of PubMed and bibliography searches identified articles relevant to the assessment of mucositis and mucositis assessment studies in children. The elements established from the literature were grouped under objective, subjective, and functional items. Other issues that require consideration include the conditions for the assessment of the oral cavity and the etiology of OM. The resultant list included 23 items that have been used in mucositis assessment scales. This list of items may be used as an initial step in developing a new pediatric OM scale that particularly focuses on the unique issues in children.
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