Effect of Improved Oral Hygiene to Prevent Pneumonia in Hospitalized Patients

Summary

Recent studies have found that poor oral hygiene may foster the colonization of the oropharynx by potential respiratory pathogens in mechanically-ventilated (MV), intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Thus, improvements in oral hygiene in MV-ICU patients may prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). The specific aims of this investigation are: 1) to organize the necessary infrastructure to develop and perform a pilot clinical trial to evaluate alternative oral hygiene procedures to prevent VAP; 2) to use this organization to perform a pilot clinical trial to determine if the use of oral topical chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX) will prevent dental plaque, oropharyngeal colonization by respiratory pathogens, and VAP in MV-ICU patients.

Timeline

Start

2004-03

Primary completion

2007-11

Completion

2007-11

Publications

• Results Scannapieco FA, Yu J, Raghavendran K, Vacanti A, Owens SI, Wood K, Mylotte JM. A randomized trial of chlorhexidine gluconate on oral bacterial pathogens in mechanically ventilated patients. Crit Care. 2009;13(4):R117. doi: 10.1186/cc7967. Epub 2009 Jul 15.
• Results Heo SM, Haase EM, Lesse AJ, Gill SR, Scannapieco FA. Genetic relationships between respiratory pathogens isolated from dental plaque and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from patients in the intensive care unit undergoing mechanical ventilation. Clin Infect Dis. 2008 Dec 15;47(12):1562-70. doi: 10.1086/593193.

Drugs

Indications