Systematic Literature Review of Oral Hygiene Practices for Intensive Care

Background Oropharyngeal colonization with pathogenic organisms contributes to the development of ventilator-associated pneumonia in intensive care units. Although con-sidered basic and potentially nonessential nursing care, oral hygiene has been proposed as a key intervention for reduc-ing ventilator-associated pneumonia. Nevertheless, evidence from randomized controlled trials that could inform best practice is limited. Objective To appraise the peer-reviewed literature to deter-mine the best available evidence for providing oral care to intensive care patients receiving mechanical ventilation and to document a research agenda for this important activity in opti-mizing patients ’ outcomes