Comparative Study of the Effect of Three Oral Care Protocols on Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in Critically Ill Patients: A Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND: Oral care plays a significant role in reducing the incidence of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP) in Intensive Care Units (ICUs). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of three oral care protocols on the incidence of VAP in Mechanically-Ventilated (MV) patients hospitalized in ICUs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This parallel randomized clinical trial was performed in 2019 on 71 MV adult patients with endotracheal intubation hospitalized in ICUs. The patients were divided into three groups: a 7-day oral care by using swab (group 1), two-times-brushing group (group 2), and four-times-brushing group (group 3) by using chlorhexidine. The data related to the incidence of pneumonia were analyzed during several days using Chi-square and ANOVA tests. RESULTS: The incidence of pneumonia on the fourth day of the intervention in the first group (35.00%) was significantly higher than that of the two intervention groups (10.00%) (χ(2) = 5.86, df = 2, p = 0.03)). The mean score of modified clinical pulmonary infection in the third group was significantly lower seven days after the intervention than before the intervention (p = 0.04) and the fourth day of intervention (p = 0.003). In the first group, this score was significantly higher in the fourth day of the intervention than the seventh day (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results, the oral care protocol, including four-times-brushing, reduced the risk of VAP more than two times brushing. Therefore, the use of this protocol is recommended to provide a minimum level of oral care and reduce the risk of VAP in MV patients.