#52: Role of Good Oral Hygiene in Reducing and Preventing Ventilator-associated Pneumonia (VAP) in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in a Tertiary Care Hospital
Authors: Asma Mansoor , Komal Sohani 
Published: March 2021

Background

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is when a patient who received mechanical ventilation for at least 48 hours develops pneumonia. According to the literature, the prevalence rate of VAP in patients experiencing mechanical ventilation is 9%–68%, its resulting mortality is 30%–70%, it also extends hospital and ICU stay by 6–7 days, raises healthcare costs by $40,000 per patient. VAP is a serious complication in the critically ill one factor causing VAP is an aspiration of oral colonization which may result from poor oral hygiene care. Oral hygiene care using either a mouth rinse or with help of forceps and gauze or combination together with the aspiration of secretion can reduce the risk of VAP in these critically ill patients.

Method

The main aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of strengthening oral hygiene practices and develop cost-effective and easy to use protocols of oral hygiene for ventilator-dependent patients. This study is an observational study conducted in all intensive care unit at tertiary care hospital, 41 bedded inpatient critical care area including high dependency unit (HDU)/coronary care unit (CCU), medical intensive care unit (MICU), surgical intensive care unit (SICU), neonate intensive care unit (NICU) and pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Approximately 500 patients were admitted monthly to the intensive care unit. All ventilated patients admitted to the intensive care unit are included. Intervention is done in three phases: firstly, VAP device-associated infection (DAI’s) surveillance initiated according to the CDC guideline. HAI’s surveillance was done on daily basis. Secondly, educate staff regarding DAI’s surveillance, VAP bundle, Oral care and suction technique of ventilated patient). Ongoing training and hands-on practice on mannequin and also perform sign-off on the patient first under supervision of Nurse instructor and infection control officers. Finally, VAP bundle was initiated which include elevation of head, daily sedation vacation, and assessment of readiness to extubate, daily oral hygiene care, and assessment of stress ulcer and deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis.

Result

Before implementation, we just calculate all pneumonia rates together not using proper guidelines. But after we follow CDC guideline for DAI’s surveillance, we trained more than 50% of critical care staff out of 93 staffs, and 90% to 95% compliance of using chlorhexidine gluconate for oral care at least per shift and also as per patient needed observed in ventilated patients.

Conclusion

The implementation of these changes in practices along with using chlorhexidine gluconate products has made it possible to achieve goal and staff perform work according to the best practice guideline. Oral care hygiene using chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) as an element of the ventilator bundle is supposed to decontaminate the mouth, avoid aspiration of contaminated secretion into the respiratory tract and prevent VAP.