Hospice & Palliative Care

Speaker:
Ebtesam Ahmed, PharmD, MS
Director of Pharmacy Internship
MJHS Institute for Innovation in Palliative Care
Clinical Professor, St. John’s University
and
Michael Mencias, MD
Senior Hospice Physician
MJHS Hospice and Palliative Care

Purpose: Oral mucositis is a significant complication in patients undergoing chemotherapeutic, and/or radiation therapy for cancer treatment. Oral candidiasis is a common fungal infection observed in immunocompromised patients. These conditions are often very painful and compromise nutrition and oral hygiene, as well as an increased risk for local and systemic infection. Symptom burden is significant that it can limit cancer treatments, hence influence prognosis, and require specialist palliative care support and management. Unfortunately, palliative care clinicians are consulted after symptoms are unmanageable. One thing that has been consistent from the initial descriptions of its clinical manifestations has been the frustration on the part of clinicians and patients with the scarcity of therapeutic options to prevent or treat the condition or effectively ameliorate the symptoms. Preventive and treatment options are complex and include nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic methods; these range from basic oral care, analgesics and anesthetics, to antimicrobials, coating agents and, recently, growth factors and cytokines. This session will discuss the pathophysiology of oral mucositis and candidiasis and review current preventive and treatment options, as well as symptom mitigation.

Objectives:

1. Describe the causes and pathophysiology of oral mucositis and candidiasis and the secondary effects on metabolism
2. Discuss risk factors for oral mucositis and candidiasis
3. Review the current pharmacotherapy recommendations for the management of oral mucositis and candidiasis

Target Audience: Primary care providers, nurse practitioners, palliative care specialists, pain specialists, registered nurses, advanced practice nurses, registered nurses with a specialty in palliative care/hospice

Criteria for Successful Completion:

1. Attendance at entire session
2. Submission of completed evaluation form
3. Successful completion of a posttest; 70% passing grade

Continuing Education Credits: 1.0

Continuing Education Accreditation

Nurses: MJHS Institute for Innovation in Palliative Care is approved as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the Northeast Multistate Division Education Unit, an accredited approver of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

Fees:
Individual: Free (includes CE certificate)

Release Date: January 27, 2020

Expiration Date: February 1, 2025 (for nurses)

Disclosures:
Michael Mencias, MD, and Ebtesam Ahmed, PharmD, MS, have no disclosures. Any discussion of investigational or unlabeled uses of a product will be identified.

Russell K. Portenoy, MD, has indicated a relationship with Tabula Rasa for research support.

No other Planning Committee Member has any disclosures.

Planning Committee Members
Myra Glajchen, DSW
Kerrianne P. Page, MD, HMDC
Joyce Palmieri, MS, RN, CHPN
Karen Richards, PhD, EdS

Funding Disclosure: No commercial funding has been accepted for the activity.

Location: Online at https://www.mjhspalliativeinstitute.org/e-learning/