Utilization of oral health services network among children and adolescents with leukemia

Abstract

Aim To evaluate the use of the network of oral health services by children and adolescents with leukemia, according to the phase of cancer treatment, type of dental treatment received, and access barriers. Methods and Results An exploratory cross‐sectional study carried out in a referral hospital in cancer in northeast of Brazil, with all children and adolescents (3–16 years old) with leukemia who used dental services and who attended the medical consultation in the outpatient clinic between March and August 2016. The analysis of the medical records and a structured interview with caregivers were performed. The majority who used only the specialized network were in a single phase of cancer treatment (49.1%), had oral mucositis treatment (79.2%), and had a time of displacement for oral health services greater than 40 minutes (92.6%). In addition, dental care was centered in the specialized network (76.8%) and during hospitalization (37.7%). Conclusions The findings suggest that the oral health care of these individuals is centered on tertiary care, reflecting a deficiency in communication between the network services, as well as the nonrecognition of the basic network as a caregiver source by its users. Despite this, more research is needed.

Oral and tracheal microbiota of pediatric and adolescent patients in an intensive care unit

“…9 All examinations were performed at the patient's bedside. A questionnaire adapted from Curi et al (2018), 10 which contained questions on hospital routine and sample characteristics, was applied to the person responsible for the patient in a separate environment to ensure privacy.…”