Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a common complication of mechanical ventilation after endotracheal intubation. The role of chlorhexidine and tooth brushing has been considered as a clinical intervention to reduce infection rates however evidence to inform this needs appraising. Keywords: Chlorhexidine Gluconate (CHX) Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP) Mechanically Ventilated (MV) Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Colisistine (COL) Aim: This paper presents a critical review on whether chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX) and tooth-brushing decreases rates of ventilator-associated pneumonia in adult mechanically ventilated patients cared for in intensive care settings. Methods: A literature search was conducted using a number of …show more content…
Chlorhexidine was also effective in reducing dental plaque in patients cared for in intensive care and had the potential to reduce nosocomial infections. Results of studies investigating the use of tooth-brushing in reducing VAP incidence proved inconsistent, although all recommend tooth-brushing in maintaining good hygiene. Conclusions: The use of chlorhexidine has been proven to be of some value in reducing VAP, although may be more effective when used with a solution which targets gram-negative bacteria.Tooth-brushing is recommended in providing a higher standard of oral care to mechanically ventilated patients and reducing VAP when used with chlorhexidine. However, limitations in study design and inconsistency in results suggests that further research is required into the effects of …show more content…
Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) refers to bacterial pneumonia developed in patients who have been mechanically ventilated for more than 48 hours. Whilst there is no universally accepted definition of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP)(Department of Health (DoH) 2010), it is viewed as a hospital-acquired infection caused by the aspiration of bacteria past the endotracheal cuff after 48 hours of being intubated, which can develop into pneumonia. VAP is known to extend intensive care unit (ICU) stay and has substantial cost implications of up to £12,000 per patient episode (Fletcher et al., 2008). Safadar et al., (2005) suggest that strategies for the prevention of VAP are urgently needed to help reduce hospitalisation costs, incidence of mortality and improve patient
To encourage physicians, ICU nurses, and respiratory therapist to use the ventilator associated pneumonia bundle in all ventilated patients in an intensive care unit.
It has been repeatedly stated that oral care is important in the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Endotracheal intubation predisposes patients to developing VAP. The tube acts as a conduit from the mouth to the lungs – a perfect track for bacteria to descend upon. Khezeri, et al. (2014) suggest that “the presence of an endotracheal tube (ETT) inhibits normal coughing, normal swallowing, and the protection of the trachea contact by epiglottis closure.” In addition, an endotracheal tube keeps the patients mouth open – leading to dryness. Bacteria are not washed away by saliva. Also, Landgraf, et al. (2017) mention that the presence of an endotracheal tube in the mouth causes “changes in the oral epithelium” which “might indicate risk for infection in intensive care patients
Ventilator-associated pneumonia is a bacterial infection that occurs in the lower respiratory system within the first 48 hours of endotrachal intubation (Lewis, Dirksen, Heitkemper, Bucher, & Camera, 2011). Although any hospital patient is susceptible to pneumonia, ventilator dependent patients are at the highest risk of acquiring pneumonia. The purpose of this paper is to identify the risk factors, incidences, and preventions of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) using a quantitative research study performed in Malaysia. “The aim of this
Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP) is the second most common infection that patients develop while in the hospital and the leading cause of death due to hospital acquired infections (Augustyn, 2007). Hospital acquired infections are also known as nosocomial infections. VAP usually happens when patients are on mechanical ventilation (the ventilator) for over 48 hours. VAP is costly because it increases the hospital length of stay, often times in the Intensive Care Units (ICU). Patients are often on the ventilator and are receiving antibiotics to treat the pneumonia. This paper will show that
The purpose of this document is a critical study and analysis of the oral care provided by nursing staff as part of the Ventilator Care Bundle (VCB) and to assess whether the frequency of mouth care performed is related to the prevention of Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP) in patients mechanically ventilated (Zilberberg et al. 2009).
As a nurse in a skilled nursing facility, oral hygiene care is very important, but the importance significantly increases when our patients are functionally dependent or cognitively impaired. These patients are unable to perform this task and depend on nurses to provide daily care. Nurses need to pay close attention for potential problems. They will need to perform assessments, develop oral care plans, and identify preventions and strategies to eliminate any potential problems. Poor oral health has been linked to serious systemic illnesses including diabetes mellitus, stroke, hypertension, myocardial infarction and aspiration pneumonia (Dyck et al., 2012). Patients who suffer from a lack of oral care can have a dramatic impact to their
The study subjects were gathered from various ICU centers at various institutions, which is appropriate for study given the study objective and what the study was aiming to examine and determine (using a study drug vs. placebo in an ICU environment). Inclusion criteria were appropriate to assess the effects of the anti-pyretic acetaminophen due to their specificity of including those patients who were febrile with an infection that had been initiated with antimicrobial therapy. The exclusion criteria was extensive and included patient characteristics and disease states that may have skewed the true effect of acetaminophen. It was appropriate to limit these patients with the exclusion criteria from receiving treatment since their comorbidities
In clinical experience, it is seen that many patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) are on mechanical ventilation. These patients range from having head trauma, heart surgery and respiratory problems yet there is no clear, concise systematic standard oral care procedures noted on the different floors in the hospital. Oral care is a basic nursing care activity that can provide relief, comfort and prevention of microbial growth yet is given low priority when compared to other critical practices in critically ill patients. The Center for Disease Control reveals that Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP) is the second most common nosocomial infection that affects approximately 27% of critically ill patients (Koeman, Van der Ven & Hak,
Even though the consequence of saline instillation on a ventilator patient in the acute care setting is pneumonia or the patient may become hemodynamically unstable, this practice remain contentious, the practice of this procedure will also decrease the oxygenation. (Ayhan, et al., 2015),
The purpose of this paper is to assess the effects of oral care on ventilator-associated pneumonia for inpatient
38. American Journal of Respiratory care and critical care Medicine, Volume 175, issue 7, pages 698 – 704
Ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) is a hospital acquired infection occurs in the intensive care unit (ICU) for the patients who are on mechanical ventilator. It further complicates the hospital course by extending the length of stay, increase the cost of treatment, and increases the mortality rate. It is estimated that about 1% to 3% patients on mechanical ventilator develops VAP per day. Compared to the previous years, the Chlorhexidine mouth care and other ventilator bundle strategies decreased the VAP rate. Evidence based research studies proved that almost 89.7% reduction in VAP occurs after the implementation of ventilator bundle and other care related to it (Hutchins et al,
Among critically-ill patients in acute care facilities, pneumonia is one of the most frequently acquired hospital infections (Curtin, 2011). Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is the second most common healthcare-associated infection (HAI) in the United States and it is responsible for approximately 25% of infections that occur in intensive care units (Sedwick et al., 2012). VAP is defined as a hospital-acquired lung infection that develops in patients who are intubated and receiving mechanical ventilation at the time of or within 48 hours prior to the onset of infection (Sedwick et al., 2012; Gianakis et al., 2015). The definition of VAP, provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), encompasses a combination of radiological,
The Ganz et al. (2009) research was performed in order to evaluate the ICU nurses oral care routines and if they were using appropriate, up-to-date evidenced based techniques and lastly if evidence-based practices (EBP) was associated with personal demographics and professional characteristics. Ganz et al. (2009) had found that previous research and studies has shown that poor oral hygiene may contribute to greater risks for pneumonia which results in an increase in mortality and morbidity (Ganz et al., p 133). In fact some of the research studies had stated that there was no documentation of the nurses oral care practices and these practices were not even up-to-date with recent evidence (Ganz et al., p 133). In addition to that, ventilator-associated
For this reason, further research should be studied on non-critical care floors to see if the same effectiveness of chlorhexidine is found.