Oral Health of Patients Hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit.

AIM: Oral hygiene technique is an important factor in maintaining the health and comfort of hospitalized patients given the frequent presence of oral biofilm and pathogens brought on by mouth breathing. This is an important practice to assist patients in intensive care, in particular those who are intu-bated and under mechanical ventilation because the realization of oral hygiene reduces the patient's risk of complications and length of hospitalization. The objective of this research was to evaluate the oral health condition of patients hospitalized in an intensive care unit (ICU) and to clarify the importance of protocol standardization involving these patients' buccal hygiene.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, the sample consisted of 45 patients admitted to an ICU who were evaluated in relation to the oral biofilm score index.

RESULTS: The results indicated that there was no significant difference in the biofilm score associated with the genre (p = 0.091), age group (p = 0.549), or teething profile (p = 0.207). However, the biofilm score was greater in partial and fully edentulous patients when compared with dentulous patients.

CONCLUSION: Based on these results, it is recommended that care providers in ICUs complete the relevant oral health care training programs.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: When in the ICU, suitable dental conduct following a protocol of prevention of oral biofilm can lead to earlier diagnosis and can prevent the spread of pathogenic microorganisms, particularly those that are systemic in patients with low immunity.