[Mouthrinse in oral mucositis in the context of allogeneic stem cell transplantation: a qualitative study]
Anja Kröner1,2, Erik Aerts1, Urs Schanz1
11 UniversitätsSpital Zürich.
Background:
Oral mucositis is a common side effect of allogeneic stem cell transplantation and can lead to increased morbidity, mortality and higher costs. It also has an impact on the quality of patients' lives. In the stem cell transplantation ward of a Swiss university hospital, patients are instructed according to current guidelines for mouthwash and their mouth status is evaluated daily.
Research Question:
How do patients experience oral mucositis and what factors influence their behaviour to perform the mouth rinsing regularly?
Method:
In this qualitative part of a concurrent nested mixed methods research, 14 patients were interviewed using an interview guide. Data was analysed using content analysis methods.
Results:
The results showed that, oral mucositis cannot be viewed separately from illness, isolation and care. The mucositis was only a heavy burden for patients with a severe occurrence. For patients with lower grade occurrences, other symptoms were more important. The research identified motivating and debilitating factors for a regular mouth rinsing, which is one of the most important preventive procedures.
Conclusions:
This study highlights how important it is to view oral mucositis in the context of the transplantation and that knowledge about motivating and hindering factors can support the nurses in caring for the patients. Improvement of patient self-management is a key aspect.
