Conclusion and implications
Cancer is among the main health issues which affecting people across the globe. The disease affects people of all ages, including children. The study focused on conducting literature to gather information that is related to mucositis prevention in children. To enhance the outcomes of the services delivered to the patients, nurses must focus on evidence-based practices that enable them to collect the relevant information and implement the relevant research findings. To collect the relevant information about the topic, the study used key terms to search for articles related to the topic under investigation. Prevention of mucositis among children, minimizing chemotherapy, and preventing mucositis among children are key terms for searching the articles related to the topic under investigation.
The literature search for the relevant articles was obtained from different search engines. Google Scholar and CINAHL Plus were the two main search database which was used to obtain the articles. To come up with the best article, the literature search considered various factors. The publishing years of the articles are one of the main factors which were considered. To enhance the relevance of the research findings, the articles selected were not more than ten years. Besides, to enhance the study’s credibility and reliability, the articles selected were published by authors in the nursing field.
From the articles selected, different findings on how to prevent mucositis among children were established. For instance, Robinson et al. (2017) found out that low light therapy (LLLT) might be given to children who are undergoing HSCT with regimens to a high mucositis rate. On the other hand, a study by Anil, Kehyayan & Johnson (2018) found out that strategic education on mouth care to patients and their caregivers are important as it helps prevent and manage oral mucositis. Another major finding from the literature search is that intra-oral PBM therapy through low-level laser therapy is important in preventing oral mucositis among patients receiving stem cell transplants. The literature search found out that oral mucositis is a critical condition linked with cancer management of pediatric patients. Besides, from the articles selected, it was established that the level of mucositis produced varies depending on the type of cancer.
Implications for practice
From the literature search of the article, which is related to mucositis prevention among the children, I was able to gain important information, which will be of great help in my nursing profession. Before doing the literature search about the topic, I had limited information about the main causes of mucositis, prevention, and management. However, after conducting the literature search, I was able to gain information that will be of great relevance to my nursing practice. From the literature search, I learned that medical assessment for the existence and severity of oral mucositis should be a requirement in the repetitive care among children undergoing cancer treatment. Besides, I was able to gain the knowledge that oral mucositis is high during chemotherapy treatment because of the breakdown of cells that are dividing at a high rate. Moreover, from the literature search, I learned that poor treatment and hindrance of mucositis among pediatric patients might result in the development of other complications.
Based on the information and knowledge I gained from the literature search, I feel I should know other important aspects of mucositis prevention among the children, which I feel I should know. For instance, there is a need to know some of the approaches healthcare providers should use to analyze the routine basis to determine the patient’s oral status. I would also like t know the ways which can be used to determine if mucositis is treatable or not. This knowledge will be important to my nursing practice as it will help ne to have a better understand of the patient’s conditions and how to handle them. Besides, the knowledge will help me to enhance the quality of services delivered to the patients. From the search of the evidence, I learned that there are different ways that healthcare professionals can use to acquire more knowledge, which is important in service delivery. The articles used in the literature had no gap in the evidence because the articles were effectively evaluated.