What haematopoietic stem cell transplant patients think about health and oral care: A qualitative study in a Brazilian health service

Abstract

Differences in the perceptions of treatment between healthcare team and patients should be identified, aiming to provide a more humanised health care. We sought to understand and evaluate the concepts regarding oral health and dental care among haematopoietic stem cell transplant patients. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients, from both sexes, in the post-haematopoietic stem cell transplant stage, who underwent dental treatment. All interviews were recorded and transcribed, respecting the spelling and syntax used by the interviewees. A thematic content analysis was performed, and three themes were assessed: what is oral health, why was pre-transplant dental treatment performed, and what was the relevance of dental treatment for the haematopoietic stem cell transplant. Oral health was understood as the act of dental care through oral hygiene. The reason for performing prior dental treatment involves strict guidelines for transplants, and when questioned as to the importance of the dental treatment for transplants, the interviewed subjects' statements focused on the prevention of infections during the low-immunity stage. The individuals saw dental treatment as a step towards a successful transplant; their main concerns were not to re-establish their oral health, but rather to end the dental treatment as quickly as possible.

Brazilian dental consensus on dental management in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation – Part I – pre-HSCT

“…The objective of pre-HSCT dental management is to minimize risks of dental origin infections that may increase the patient's morbidity, during the first 100 days of HSCT. 11 , 12 , 13 It is important to establish good communication between the transplant team and the dental group for the patient's best care. Dental treatment planning requires that the dentist (oral medicine) understands the basic principles of the diseases that lead to HSCT and the different treatment protocols involved in patient's care ( Figure 2 , Figure 3 ).…”