Table 2.
Distribution of clinical indexes and oral conditions between non-severe and severe oral dryness in end-of-life patients with advanced cancers
| End-of-life patients (n = 27) | χ2 / Fisher’s exact test | Mann- Whitney U | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral dryness | ||||||
| NOD (n = 15) | SOD (n = 12) | |||||
| n (%)/ Median (IQR) | p | pb | ||||
| Clinical index | ||||||
| Gender | ||||||
| Males | 7 | (46.7%) | 5 | (41.7%) | 0.795 | |
| Females | 8 | (53.3%) | 7 | (58.3%) | ||
| Age (yrs) | 62.0 | (58.0–70.0) | 67.0 | (58.5–72.8) | 0.806 | |
| Education level (yrs) | ||||||
| ≤ 9 | 7 | (53.8%) | 6 | (66.7%) | 0.674a | |
| > 9 | 6 | (46.2%) | 3 | (33.3%) | ||
| BMI | 21.0 | (20.0–23.0) | 24.0 | (17.8–26.8) | 0.247 | |
| Estimated survival (days) | 9.0 | (4.0–21.0) | 10.0 | (4.3–15.0) | 0.826 | |
| ECOG status (bedridden time(%)) | ||||||
| < 100% | 6 | (40.0%) | 6 | (50.0%) | 0.603 | |
| 100% | 9 | (60.0%) | 6 | (50.0%) | ||
| ADL | 0.0 | (0.0–30.0) | 0.0 | (0.0–0.0) | 0.139 | |
| Glasgow coma scale | 14.0 | (8.0–15.0) | 14.0 | (9.3–15.0) | 0.878 | |
| Palliative prognosis index | 8.0 | (4.0–12.8) | 10.0 | (8.0–14.8) | 0.209 | |
| Limb edema index (0–16 scores) | 2.0 | (0.0–4.0) | 6.0 | (2.3–7.8) | 0.100 | |
| Limb edema | ||||||
| Index > 0 | 4 | (26.7%) | 1 | (9.1%) | 0.356a | |
| Index =0 | 11 | (73.3%) | 10 | (90.9%) | ||
| Bacterial amount level | ||||||
| Low | 8 | (53.3%) | 9 | (81.8%) | 0.217a | |
| High | 7 | (46.7%) | 2 | (18.2%) | ||
| Oral conditions | ||||||
| Mucosa healthiness | ||||||
| Mucositis | ||||||
| (−) | 13 | (86.7%) | 4 | (33.3%) | 0.007a* | |
| (+) | 2 | (13.3%) | 8 | (66.7%) | ||
| Candida infection | ||||||
| (+) | 9 | (60.0%) | 10 | (83.3%) | 0.236a | |
| (−) | 6 | (40.0%) | 2 | (16.7%) | ||
| Oral bleeding | ||||||
| (+) | 3 | (20.0%) | 1 | (8.3%) | 0.61a | |
| (−) | 12 | (80.0%) | 11 | (91.7%) | ||
| Oral moisture | ||||||
| Sensation of oral dryness | ||||||
| (+) | 5 | (41.7%) | 9 | (100.0%) | 0.007a* | |
| (−) | 7 | (58.3%) | 0 | (0.0%) | ||
| Tongue with oral moisture machine at initial examination | 27.1 | (22.1–29.2) | 0.0 | (0.0–5.6) | 0.002* | |
| Buccal mucosa with oral moisture machine at initial examination | 28.5 | (26.1–31.0) | 20.4 | (0.0–27.5) | 0.014* | |
| Oral cleanliness | ||||||
| Oral debris | ||||||
| Mild | 12 | (80.0%) | 3 | (25.0%) | 0.004* | |
| Severe | 3 | (20.0%) | 9 | (75.0%) | ||
| Tongue coating index | 0.4 | (0.3–0.6) | 0.4 | (0.3–0.6) | 1.000 | |
| General oral assessment | ||||||
| OHAT at initial examination | ||||||
| Total scores | 6.0 | (5.0–8.0) | 8.5 | (6.3–9.8) | 0.014* | |
| Lips | 1.0 | (1.0–2.0) | 1.0 | (1.0–2.0) | 0.422 | |
| Tongue | 1.0 | (1.0–1.0) | 1.0 | (1.0–2.0) | 0.019* | |
| Gums and tissues | 0.0 | (0.0–1.0) | 1.0 | (1.0–1.0) | 0.011* | |
| Saliva | 1.0 | (1.0–1.0) | 2.0 | (2.0–2.0) | < 0.001* | |
| Natural teeth | 1.0 | (0.0–2.0) | 1.0 | (0.0–1.0) | 0.437 | |
| Dentures | 0.0 | (0.0-NA) | 1.5 | (0.3–2.0) | 0.190 | |
| Oral cleanliness | 1.0 | (1.0–2.0) | 1.5 | (1.0–2.0) | 0.476 | |
| Dental pain | 0.0 | (0.0–0.0) | 0.0 | (0.0–0.0) | 0.371 | |
| Oral function | ||||||
| Voice | ||||||
| Normal | 5 | (33.3%) | 0 | (0.0%) | 0.047a* | |
| Abnormal | 10 | (66.7%) | 12 | (100.0%) | ||
| Swallow | ||||||
| (+) | 8 | (57.1%) | 8 | (66.7%) | 0.701a | |
| (−) | 6 | (42.9%) | 4 | (33.3%) | ||
| MWST | ||||||
| Swallowing with neither cough nor wet hoarseness | 4 | (57.1%) | 2 | (40.0%) | 1.00a | |
| In addition to 4 points, could swallow saliva two additional times within the 30 s | 3 | (42.9%) | 3 | (60.0%) | ||
| MMO | 3.5 | (3.0–4.0) | 3.0 | (2.0–3.5) | 0.180 | |
Data are n (%) or median (IQR). NA not applicable
Abbreviations: IQR interquartile range, NOD Nonsevere Oral Dryness, SOD Severe Oral Dryness, BMI Body Mass Index, ECOG Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, ADL Activities of Daily Living, OHAT Oral Health Assessment Tool, MWST Modified Water Swallowing Test, MMO Maximum Mouth Opening
aFisher’s exact test
bAsymptotic significance by Mann- Whitney U test
* Statically significant (p < 0.05)