Effectiveness of Cryotherapy on Radiation Induced Oral Mucositis among patients who receive Radiation Therapy at KMCH, Coimbatore

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the Effectiveness of Cryotherapy on Radiation Induced Oral Mucositis among patients who receive Radiation Therapy. The Methodology: Research design adopted for this study was quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test control group design. The subjects were randomized to two groups by preparing 30 lots. The lots were labelled as E which was assigned to Experimental group and C which was allocated to Conventional care group. The subjects were asked to pick a lot and based on that lot, the subjects were assigned to Experimental group and Conventional care group. The study was conducted in the Department of Radiation Oncology, Comprehensive Cancer Center at KMCH, Coimbatore. The sample size was 30 subjects. 15 subjects were assigned to each group. Non – Probability Purposive Sampling technique was adopted. Conceptual Framework was based on Modified Swanson's Structure of Caring (1993). Cryotherapy was done by providing Ice cubes to the patient's and instruct them to suck and rinse slowly and swish it around the mouth for 5 minutes and then spit it out. This was done 15 minutes before and after Radiation Therapy. Oral mucositis was assessed in both Experimental group and Conventional care group at the end of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th week after Radiation Therapy using WHO Oral Mucositis Grading Scale and Patient – Reported Oral Mucositis Symptoms [PROMS] scale.

The Results of the study were by comparing the Oral Mucositis using WHO Oral Mucositis Scale at the end of each week between the Experimental group and Conventional care group, the ‘p’ value at the end of 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th week are 0.001, 0.05, <0.001 and 0.028 respectively and the p value for PROMS Scale is 0.022 which shows that there is a significant difference in Oral Mucositis Severity.

In nutshell, the study recommends the use of cost effective Cryotherapy along with Soda – Bicarb mouth wash in Clinical Practice for patients who are receiving Head and Neck Radiation Therapy.