Clinical characteristics and oral care needs of perioperative patients with oral cancer

Abstract

The treatment of oral cancer patients mainly involves surgery in combination with radiotherapy and che⁃ motherapy. This paper reviews the clinical features of perioperative patients with oral cancer, including oral flora imbal⁃ ance, oral complications after radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the presence of oral incisions (and flaps), special dietary needs, and airway management. In connection with the above characteristics, this article analyzes the necessity of three aspects of oral care to improve the patients comfort and prevent pulmonary and surgical site infections, with the goal of providing a reference for oral care research on patients undergoing oral cancer surgery and laying a foundation for the construction of comprehensive oral care programs during the perioperative period for patients with oral cancer