Can enhanced oral care reduce risk of lower respiratory tract infections? Study says yes

Intensive care unit patients who received enhanced oral care from a dentist were at significantly less risk for developing lower respiratory tract infections, such as ventilator-associated pneumonia, during their stay, according to a study published in the November issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

Brazilian researchers analyzed data from 254 adult patients who stayed in a general ICU for at least 48 hours. Certain patients received enhanced dental care provided by a dentist or while others received routine oral hygiene performed by CU nurse staff.

Patients provided enhanced dental care were 56 percent less likely to develop a respiratory tract infection during their ICU stay compared to the control patient group. Also, ventilator-associated pneumonia rates per 1,000 ventilator days were 16.5 for the control group and 7.6 for the enhanced dental care group.

Can enhanced oral care reduce risk of lower respiratory tract infections? Study says yes

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