True experimental study to assess the effectiveness of oral ice cubes for the prevention of oral mucositis among patients receiving chemotherapy in the selected hospital, Maldives

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to assess the effectiveness of oral ice cubes for the prevention of oral mucositis among patients receiving chemotherapy in selected hospital at the Maldives.

Aim: 1. To assess the presence of oral mucositis among patients receiving chemotherapy after treating with oral ice cubes. 2. Associate the presence of oral mucositis among patients, receiving chemotherapy after administration of ice cubes with their selected demographic variables.

Materials and methods: Quantitative research approach was used. Research design-The research design selected for the study is true experimental design (posttest only control group design). Research tool and research technique-The tool to collect data from the selected samples consists of two sections. Section-A: Demographic Variables. Section-B: WHO Mucositis Assessment Scale.

Result: The study reveals that the patients who received chemotherapy, 16.67 % had no oral mucositis, 23.33% had mild oral mucositis, 30 % had moderate oral mucositis, whereas 30% had severe oral mucositis, while no one developed severe oral mucositis after using the ice cube. However, in control group 0% had none mucositis, 3.3% had mild mucositis, 46.7% had moderate mucositis, and another 50% had severe mucositis, and none of them had very severe mucositis. From the percentage of frequency studied, findings are that the oral ice cubes control the level of oral mucositis in patients receiving chemotherapy.

Conclusion: The study concluded that oral ice cubes therapy helped to decrease the severity of mucositis. Further, there was no association found between the occurrence of oral mucositis, the post being treated with ice cube therapy & the demographic variables.