Impact of pandemic COVID-19 outbreak on oral mucositis preventive and treatment protocols: new perspectives for extraoral photobiomodulation therapy

摘要

Scheme summarizing all information necessary for a safe PBMT appointment. *Door of the hospital room should be closed with low-pressure inside in cases of COVID-19 suspicion or confirmation, or the door or window should be opened to provide airflow, minding to not put other individuals in risk of infection.** Patient’s family member or carer should wait outside the hospital room. *** Patients with advanced tumors may be subjected to neck dissection with protective tracheostomy in complementation to solid tumor removal—especially for those individuals with adjuvant or exclusive radiotherapy. Cough and secretive fluids are common and persistent during radiation treatment, representing an important infection source. Therefore, their tracheal cannula should be covered with a disposable surgical mask. Also important, professionals should sanitize their hands with water and soup or alcohol gel (1) before patient examination, (2) before dental procedures, (3) after touching the patient, (4) after touching equipment without disinfection, and (5) after touching the oral mucosa or body fluids. Laser flag was positioned in the back of the patient because we suggest that professionals keep PBM equipment behind working chair to avoid contamination in case of infected droplets