Consensus based clinical guideline for oral hygiene in the critically ill

• Published in: Intensive & critical care nursing Vol. 27; no. 4; pp. 180 - 185
• Main Authors: Berry, Angela M., Davidson, Patricia M., Nicholson, Lisa, Pasqualotto, Carmel, Rolls, Kaye
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2011; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Clinical guidelines; Clinical medicine; Clinical nursing; Clinical practice; Critical Illness; Dental care; Experts; Humans; Infections; Intensive care; Intensive care unit; Intensive care units; Methods; Nursing; Nursing care; Oral hygiene; Oral Hygiene - nursing; Oral Hygiene - standards; Pneumonia; Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated - etiology; Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated - prevention & control; Validation; Australia; Clinical guidelines; Oral hygiene; Intensive care unit
• ISSN: 0964-3397; 1532-4036
• DOI: 10.1016/j.iccn.2011.04.005

Oropharyngeal colonisation has been identified as a factor contributing to ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). We sought to develop a clinical practice guideline for providing oral hygiene in the critically ill. Following a systematic literature review a prospectively derived consensus development conference was convened and sponsored by a clinical governance unit. The consensus development conference generated 12 recommendations for tools and solutions; frequency and duration of cleaning; oral assessment tools and oral hygiene protocols. These recommendations underwent a validation process. In light of sparse high level evidence to inform guidelines, further research is needed inform clinical practice. Oral hygiene is a critical element of nursing care and a standardised approach has the potential to improve clinical outcomes.