Establishing literature-based items for an oral mucositis assessment tool in children.

Although there are numerous instruments for oral mucositis (OM) assessment in adults, there is a lack of validated instruments for use in children. The objectives of this systematic review were to describe literature-based items that should be considered for a pediatric mucositis scale and other issues that should be considered when assessing mucositis in children. Literature search of PubMed and bibliography searches identified articles relevant to the assessment of mucositis and mucositis assessment studies in children. The elements established from the literature were grouped under objective, subjective, and functional items. Other issues that require consideration include the conditions for the assessment of the oral cavity and the etiology of OM. The resultant list included 23 items that have been used in mucositis assessment scales. This list of items may be used as an initial step in developing a new pediatric OM scale that particularly focuses on the unique issues in children.