“I Can’t Swallow”: Review of the Management of Mucositis and Candidiasis
“I Can’t Swallow”: Review of the Management of Mucositis and Candidiasis is organized by MJHS Institute for Innovation in Palliative Care.
Release Date: January 27, 2020
Expiration Date: September 19, 2022 (for physicians and non-physicians); April 17, 2024 (for nurses)
Purpose:
Oral mucositis is a significant complication in patients undergoing chemotherapeutic, and/or radiation therapy for cancer treatment. Oral candidiasis is a common fungal infection observed in immunocompromised patients. These conditions are often very painful and compromise nutrition and oral hygiene, as well as an increased risk for local and systemic infection. Symptom burden is significant in that it can limit cancer treatments, hence influence prognosis, and require specialist palliative care support and management. Unfortunately, palliative care clinicians are consulted after symptoms are unmanageable. One thing that has been consistent from the initial descriptions of its clinical manifestations has been the frustration on the part of clinicians and patients with the scarcity of therapeutic options to prevent or treat the condition or effectively ameliorate the symptoms. Preventive and treatment options are complex and include nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic methods; these range from basic oral care, analgesics, and anesthetics, to antimicrobials, coating agents, and, recently, growth factors and cytokines. This session will discuss the pathophysiology of oral mucositis and candidiasis and review current preventive and treatment options, as well as symptom mitigation.
This course is designed for Primary care providers, nurse practitioners, palliative care specialists, pain specialists, registered nurses, advanced practice nurses, and registered nurses with a specialty in palliative care/hospice.
Objectives:
• Describe the causes and pathophysiology of oral mucositis and candidiasis and the secondary effects on metabolism
• Discuss risk factors for oral mucositis and candidiasis
• Review the current pharmacotherapy recommendations for the management of oral mucositis and candidiasis
