A scoring system for the quantitative evaluation of oral mucositis during bone marrow transplantation

Abstract

A system for assessing the severity of mucositis in patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is presented. Ten criteria were graded to give component scores together with a total score. The overall severity score ranged from 0 through 21. Scores were assigned three times daily by nursing staff members and verified daily by the attending dental and medical practitioners. Total scores were highly reproducible and were related to the severity of neutropenia. Variation between sequential total scores was not related to interexaminer variation but rather to changes in the severity of oral mucositis. Component scores provided a useful means for transmitting oral health information between health care personnel. Total scores were used to regulate the nature and frequency of oral hygiene procedures for patients undergoing BMT as well as other hematology/oncology patients. Application of this oral assessment system to other institutional settings may be beneficial.

Low-power laser in the prevention of induced oral mucositis in bone marrow transplantation patients: a randomized trial

“…This fact confirms the methodologic option for the use of OMAS. These results support OMAS as an instrument capable of portraying the clinical 25 Although a delay in the start of OM was expected in patients from the laser group, a significant statistical difference between the laser and control groups was not observed, and this result deserves further investigation. Further, no significant statistical difference was seen between the laser and control groups in the total time with OM.…”

Measurement of oral mucositis in children: a review of the literature

“…The study observed 31 adult patients undergoing BMT, which included one 13-year-old patient. Staff had been trained to score mucositis by senior staff members and reliability testing was limited to reproducibility analysis of the variation in mucositis scores by different nursing staff members [41]. Validity was not examined.…”

“…Validation was not examined. Similarly, another combined scale, the Walsh Scale, evaluated ten separate categories that were scored on a 3-or 4-point severity scale [41]. The study observed 31 adult patients undergoing BMT, which included one 13-year-old patient.…”

Designing an oral mucositis assessment instrument for use in children: generating items using a nominal group technique

“…For example, the Walsh Scale gives a patient with a moist mouth the lowest score (0) and a dry mouth the highest score of 2 [32], where higher scores indicate increased severity of oral mucositis. It was the experience of the participants that children with mucositis more frequently suffered from drooling or pooling of saliva rather than a dry mouth.…”