MUCOSITIS MANAGEMENT-PRACTICES FOR HOSPITALIZED-PATIENTS - NATIONAL SURVEY RESULTS

The optimal management strategies for cancer chemotherapy and radiotherapy-induced mucositis have not been identified. In 1989, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) published a consensus statement outlining a standardized approach for the prevention and treatment of oral complications. The purpose of this survey was to identify the national treatment pactices for oral mucositis, mucocutaneous Herpes simplex virus infections, and oral candidiasis, and to compare them to the NIH guidelines. Surveys were mailed to clinical pharmacists at 200 hospitals throughout the United States. Sixty-two of the 200 questionnaires were completed and returned. Institutions used a diversity of agents, generating substantial variability in mucositis prophylaxis and treatment protocols Many of these therapies included products or combinations of ingredients that lack proven clinical efficacy. Mucositis management strategies for hospitalized patients vary widely at US hospitals. Coordinated, controlled studies are needed to identify optimal therapies for these patients.