What is the effect of adding mechanical oral care (toothbrushing) to the chemical oral care (usual oral care) on the prevention of VAP in ICU patients?
Aim
The aim of this experimental study is to examine the effectiveness of adding toothbrushing to the usual oral care on the prevention of VAP in ICU patients.
Objectives are: i. To explore the relationship between oral health status and the development of VAP in ICU …show more content…
To identify a strategy for improving oral care so as to prevent VAP and to enhance quality of life of ICU patients.
Introduction
VAP is hospital-acquired pneumonia that develops in an intubated patient after 48 hours or more of mechanical ventilation, and that was not present before intubaton (Fields, 2008). The development of VAP is a concern and its prevention is essential because it is the most common nosocomial infection in mechanically ventilated patients and is a preventable consequence of intubation and mechanical ventilation (Barcaly & Vega, 2005). In addition, it results in high mortality and morbidity, prolonged length of hospitalization and ICU stay, and increased cost of care (Kleiman & Boody, 2009).
As bacterial colonisation of oral cavity is one of critical risk factors for VAP (Munro et al, 2006) and oral care plays a vital role in preventing VAP (Munro et al, 2004), nurses, therefore, have a responsibility to ensure oral care effectively supplement the other strategies used to prevent VAP.
Despite the importance of oral care in ICU has been noted, universal oral care standards do not exit and evidence-based oral care protocol for ICU have not been reported (Kleiman & Boody, …show more content…
However, universal oral care standards do not exit and evidence-based oral care protocol have not been reported (Kleiman & Boody, 2009). For the need to standardise oral care have been substantiated, studying the effectiveness of different oral care interventions on the prevention of VAP is