In the study, researchers analyzed data from 254 patients who stayed in the ICU for at least two days. Some of the patients in the study received “enhanced” oral care — teeth brushing, tongue scraping, calculus removal, atraumatic restorative treatment of caries, tooth extraction and topical application of chlorhexidine — from a dentist while in the ICU, and some received routine oral hygiene from an ICU nurse, which involved mechanical cleansing using gauze and the application of chlorhexidine three times a day.
Compared to the control group, patients who received enhanced care from a dentist were 56 percent less likely to get a respiratory infection in the ICU.
“Bacteria causing healthcare-associated infections often start in the oral cavity,” said Fernando Bellissimo-Rodrigues, MD, the study’s lead author. “This study suggests that having a dentist provide weekly care as part of the ICU team may improve outcomes for vulnerable patients in this setting.”
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