Cuidados de enfermería en prevención de mucositis oral secundaria al tratamiento oncológico: una revisión integrativa

Justification: Oral mucositis is a complication of cancer treatment that has high impact on the quality of life of patients who suffer it; it is essential that the delivered nursing care are directed to prevent and / or lessen the severity of oral mucositis and are backed with evidence of their effectiveness. Objective: To identify nursing cares aimed at preventing oral mucositis in cancer patients. Methods: Integrative review in 6 databases of articles published from 2000 to 2015. Results: The identified nursing care are educational intervention relating to dental brushing, oral hygiene, self-assessment of the integrity of the mucous membrane through scales and the use of cryotherapy during the administration of cytostatics. Conclusion: The aforementioned nursing care have proven their effectiveness in preventing the appearance and severity of oral mucositis, as well as being cost-effective in pediatric and adult oncological patients.