COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF ORAL CARE IN PREVENTING NOSOCOMIAL PNEUMONIA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

• Published in: Oral surgery, oral medicine, oral pathology and oral radiology Vol. 137; no. 6; p. e315
• Main Authors: RODRIGUES, Danielle Santos, DE SOUZA, Patrícia Tolentino da Rosa, ORSI, Juliana Schaia Rocha, SOUZA, Paulo Henrique Couto, ALANIS, Luciana Reis Azevedo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.06.2024
• ISSN: 2212-4403; 2212-4411
• DOI: 10.1016/j.oooo.2023.12.768

This study aimed to evaluate the cost of oral care and its clinical effectiveness in preventing nosocomial pneumonia for patients under health care assistance. A search was conducted that answered the PICO question in the following databases: Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Web of Sciences, Scopus, CINAHL, LILACS, complemented by grey literature and manual search, between January/2021 and August/2022. Two independent reviewers extracted data from the selected articles, individually analyzing each study´s quality through the Drummond BMJ checklist. The data were tabulated in clinical or economic. A total of 3,130 articles were identified; the eligibility criteria were verified, and 12 articles were selected for qualitative analysis. There was heterogeneity between clinical and economic data. Eleven of the 12 studies reported a decrease in the incidence of nosocomial pneumonia following the application of oral care practices. Most authors reported a reduction in the estimate of individual costs, followed by a decrease in the need for antibiotic therapy. The costs of oral care were very low compared to other costs. Oral care represents reduced costs compared to hospital expenses for treating pneumonia, despite the low level of evidence in the literature.