iajapnIAJAPNIAJAPN2709-3263https://doi.org/10.47310/iajapn.2021.v02i02.017Effectiveness of Cryotherapy on Oral Mucositis among Chemotherapy Patients at Cancer Centre, Erode, TamilnaduS.IndiraProfessor, Dhanvantri College of Nursing, Namakkal, IndiaThe malignant neoplasm characterized by the proliferation of anaplastic cells that tend to invade surrounding tissue. Mucositis are described as an inflammatory and ulcerative reaction in the oral cavity. It develops in an average 40% of patients administered systemic chemotherapy. Oral mucositis developing in the patient may cause pain ranging from mild to unbearly become severe and enough to interference with eating and it can require hospitalization for fluid support. Cryotherapy administered during rapid infusion of a chemotherapeutics agents gives raise local vasoconstriction, which in turn decrease blood flow in oral mucosa and reduced the amount of drug distributed to cells hence reducing the incidence of mucositis. Cold application is a simple and inexpensive which has been accepted for decades of as an effective non pharmacologic intervention for pain management. Objectives: 1. To assess the oral mucositis among Chemotherapy patients in control and experimental group before and after cryotherapy. 2. To compare the effectiveness of cryotherapy on oral mucositis among Chemotherapy patients in control and experimental group. 3. To find out the association between post test scores of oral mucositis among Chemotherapy patients in control and experimental group with their demographic variables. Materials and Methods: The study used an Evaluation approach and quasi experimental design to collect the data from Cancer centre selected by purposive sampling method. The target population for this study was Chemotherapy patients. The sample size was determined 10 for control group and 10 for experimental group. The data were collected for 2 weeks after obtaining permission from the concerned authority of the Hospital. Pretest was conducted for 3-5 patients per day and immediately after pretest cryotherapy was given for 15-20 minutes in one time a day for 7 days. Weatern Consortium Observational tool was used on 7th day after completion of cryotherapy and the level of oral mucositis was graded in the percentage of scores. Results: Comparison of Mean, SD of control group pre and posttest scores reveals that, in pretest the mean score was 6.4 and posttest mean score was 8.3. It depicts that without intervention of cryotherapy on oral Mucositis was not effective. Comparison of Mean of experimental group pre and posttest scores reveals that, in pretest the mean score was 8.1 and posttest mean score was 4. It depicts that cryotherapy on oral Mucositis was effective among chemotherapy patients.