Murphy Dourieu Emir, Lisiecka Dominika, Evans William, Sheahan Patricia
Kerry Specialist Palliative Care Service, University Hospital Kerry, Tralee, Co. Kerry, Ireland.
Department of Nursing and Health Sciences, Munster Technological University, Tralee, Co. Kerry, Ireland.
BMC Palliat Care. 2025 Jan 6;24(1):1. doi: 10.1186/s12904-024-01617-x.
The prevalence of dry mouth in the palliative care population is well documented and increases due to polypharmacy, radiotherapy and systemic conditions. Saliva as a lubricant for the mouth and throat has implications for swallowing, chewing, and speech. The literature about the experience of xerostomia (perceived feeling of dry mouth) in palliative care is scarce. Clinical evidence suggests that xerostomia has a negative impact on people's comfort, however, no recent studies explored this impact in detail. This new knowledge is paramount to adhere to the principles of palliative care.
To evaluate the impact of xerostomia on the lives of people receiving palliative care with particular reference to eating and speaking. DESIGN: A qualitative descriptive study (interview design). Thematic analysis was used for data analysis.
A single specialist palliative care centre in Ireland.
The majority of participants (35/40) had cancer. Xerostomia was reported to have multiple physical, psychological, and daily life consequences. Participants provided insights into the impact of xerostomia on sleeping, eating, talking, denture wearing, and they described in detail their intra-oral sensations associated with xerostomia. The negative effect of xerostomia on speech was reported as the most significant to participants.
Xerostomia has a profound impact on the daily lives of people receiving palliative care, including physical and psychological consequences. Speaking is often affected, which can impede the person's ability to communicate. There needs to be increased awareness of the impact of xerostomia and more research is required to understand how best to manage xerostomia in a palliative care setting.
姑息治疗人群中口干的患病率有充分记录，且因多种药物治疗、放疗和全身疾病而增加。唾液作为口腔和咽喉的润滑剂，对吞咽、咀嚼和言语有影响。关于姑息治疗中口干（自觉口干的感觉）体验的文献很少。临床证据表明，口干会对人们的舒适度产生负面影响，然而，最近没有研究详细探讨这种影响。这些新知识对于坚持姑息治疗原则至关重要。
评估口干对接受姑息治疗患者生活的影响，尤其关注饮食和言语方面。
一项定性描述性研究（访谈设计）。采用主题分析法进行数据分析。
爱尔兰的一家单一专科姑息治疗中心。
大多数参与者（35/40）患有癌症。据报告，口干会产生多种身体、心理和日常生活方面的后果。参与者深入阐述了口干对睡眠、饮食、交谈、佩戴假牙的影响，并详细描述了与口干相关的口腔内感觉。参与者认为口干对言语的负面影响最为显著。
口干对接受姑息治疗患者的日常生活有深远影响，包括身体和心理方面的后果。言语常常受到影响，这可能会妨碍患者的沟通能力。需要提高对口干影响的认识，并且需要更多研究来了解在姑息治疗环境中如何最好地管理口干。
