Nursing care to patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiotherapy

Abstract

Objective: developing the main diagnoses and nursing interventions related to complications of radiotherapy in patients with head and neck cancer. Method: a descriptive study developed in three stages: literature review in the databases MEDLINE and LILACS; identification of complications reported at least in 50% of the articles, which were xerostomia and mucositis and composition of diagnoses and nursing interventions according to the International Classification for Nursing Practice. Results: there were formulated the diagnoses: "Low Salivation" and "Inflammation of the Oral Mucous Membrane" and 40 nursing interventions. Conclusion: this study contributed in the organization of nursing care through the use of a standardized terminology for diagnoses and nursing interventions that support the nursing consultation in the sector of radiotherapy.