The Role of Nurses in Managing Trismus among Patients with Head and Neck Cancer Receiving Concurrent Chemoradioth
Keywords:
Trismus, Head and Neck cancer, Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy, Role of nursesAbstract
Trismus is a common complication in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients who receive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). Treatment side effects compromise the elasticity of the salivary glands, masticatory muscles, and temporomandibular joint, leading to fibrosis and the subsequent development of trismus. This condition exerts a long-term negative impact on the quality of life for HNC patients across multiple domains, including nutrition, speech, oral hygiene maintenance, and social integration. This article aims to present the nursing role in managing trismus in HNC patients receiving CCRT, covering its definition, mechanism of development, treatment modalities, and the specific nursing role in management. The paper highlights that nurses are instrumental in the screening, assessment, education, and guidance necessary for preventing trismus, as its establishment proves difficult to fully rehabilitate to the patient’s original maximal mouth opening. Consequently, prevention is a strategy that promotes a sustained improvement in the quality of life for HNC patients over the long term
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