Laryngoscope-assisted and cotton ball wiping methods in prevention of oral and pulmonary infection in patients receiving mechanical ventilation and the influence on hypersensitive C-reactive protein and procalcitonin

Effects of laryngoscope-assisted and cotton ball wiping methods on the prevention of oral and pulmonary infection in patients receiving mechanical ventilation were compared to explore the influence of the two methods on high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT). In total, 152 patients who underwent mechanical ventilation in the ICU of Beijing Jishuitan Hospital from May 2005 to January 2018 were assigned and equally divided into two groups: 76 patients who had their oropharynxes scrubbed and rinsed by an electric toothbrush under direct vision by the use of a laryngoscope were selected as the laryngoscope group, and 76 patients who received the conventional cotton ball wiping method and the flushing method for oropharyngeal cleaning were assigned in the cotton ball group. Detection of serum hs-CRP and PCT levels in a 2-ml sample of fasting venous blood was performed on both groups of patients before hospitalization, and on the 5th and 10th day of hospitalization. The incidence rate of oral infection and ventilator-associated pneumonia, as well as the length of the cleaning time were recorded. The incidence rate of oral infection and ventilator-associated pneumonia in the laryngoscope group was statistically much lower than that in the cotton ball group (P<0.05). Before the experiment, there was no significant difference in the hs-CRP and PCT levels between the two groups (P>0.050), whereas the laryngoscope group had significantly lower hs-CRP and PCT levels at the 5th and 10th day of hospitalization than those in the cotton ball group (P<0.05). The hs-CRP and PCT levels at the three time-points in the same group were statistically different (P<0.05). In conclusion, oropharyngeal scrub and rinse by an electric toothbrush assisted by a laryngoscope, can not only better prevent oral infection and reduce the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia, but it also has shorter cleaning time and results in lower levels of inflammatory factors, which make this method beneficial in the clinic.