Evaluation of the prevalence and risk factors of oral mucositis in patients with COPD

This descriptive study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of oral mucositis and its associated risk factors in patients diagnosed with COPD. The sample of the study consisted of 232 COPD patients receiving inpatient treatment. Data were collected through the Patient Information Form, The World Health Organization Oral Mucositis Assessment Scale, and the Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire (SNAQ). Data analysis involved frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, one-way analysis of variance, post-hoc analysis, and logistic regression analysis. The mean age of the participants was 73.57±11.79 years; 68.1%of the participants were male, 40.5%were illiterate, 56.5%were retired, and 15.1%were smokers. The average number of days of inpatient treatment was 4.53±2.22, and the mean duration since diagnosis was 4.53±0.74 years. Among the patients, 73.7%had at least one comorbid chronic disease, 67.2%used dental prostheses, and 31%had decayed teeth. Approximately half of the participants (41.4%) had previously experienced oral mucositis, and 55.6%had received education on oral mucositis prevention. 32.3%of the patients whose prevalence of oral mucositis was found to be 66.8%had Stage 2 oral mucositis. The identified risk factors associated with oral mucositis included age, gender, educational level, occupation, smoking status, dry powder inhaler use, diuretic use, fluid intake, use of dental prostheses, tooth brushing habits, use of oral care products, and receiving education on oral mucositis prevention (p<0.05). The most common symptoms experienced by the patients were dry mouth (96.6%), redness (65.5%), burning sensation (50%), and pain (40.5%). In conclusion, more than half of the COPD patients receiving inpatient treatment had oral mucositis, and various complications related to oral mucositis developed during the treatment process.