Status of the oral environment in patients with digestive system tumors during the perioperative period.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Surgery is an important treatment modality for patients with digestive system tumors, and perioperative management is crucial for the patients' recovery and quality of life. During the perioperative period, significant changes can occur in the oral environment of patients, such as dry mouth, mucosal ulceration, and oral infections. These issues not only cause discomfort to the patients but may also affect postoperative recovery and treatment outcomes. Therefore, it is essential to investigate and analyze the oral environment during the perioperative period in patients with digestive system tumors. AIM: This study aims to investigate the oral health status in patients with digestive system tumors during the perioperative period and analyze the influencing factors. METHODS: In this retrospective study, a total of 242 patients with digestive system tumors admitted to The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University from September 2021 to June 2023 were selected as the study population (patient group). During the same period, 245 healthy volunteers who received oral examinations were selected as the healthy group. The study compared the oral hygiene environment of the two groups, including the Dental Plaque Index (DI), Calculus Index (CI), and Periodontal Disease Index (PDI). Measurements were taken at admission (T0), 1 hour before surgery (T1), and 3 days after surgery (T2). Based on the PDI index, the patient group was divided into a periodontal disease group (PDI ≥ 3, n = 196) and a periodontal healthy group (PDI < 3, n = 46). The risk factors for the development of periodontal disease in digestive system tumor patients were analyzed, considering variables such as gender, age, BMI, smoking status, alcohol consumption frequency, monthly income, tumor type, oral self-care habits, low-grade inflammation, and nutritional status. RESULTS: The DI, CI and PDI indexes in patient group were higher than those in healthy group (3.23±0.64 vs 1.46±0.43, 1.92±0.46 vs 1.21±0.41, 3.83±0.79 vs 2.65±0.69, all P < 0.05). DI index, CI index and PDI index at T1 and T2 were significantly lower than those at T0 (P < 0.05), and these indices at T2 were slightly higher than T1, but the difference was not statistically significant (all P > 0.05). Multivariate analyses identified high levels of high-sensitivity C-Reactive Protein [OR 15.070 (1.611-140.951)], low levels of hemoglobin [OR 0.239 (0.058-0.981)], and presence of dental caries [OR 246.737 (1.160-52464.597)] as risk factors associated with periodontal disease in patients with digestive system tumors. CONCLUSION: It is important to enhance the attention and management of the oral environment during the perioperative period for patients with digestive system tumors.