Study: Oral hygiene reduces time on ventilator

Patients on mechanical ventilation who brushed their teeth and used chlorhexidine mouthwash had a reduced chance of developing ventilator-associated pneumonia, according to a study published in Cureus. The authors conducted a prospective randomized control study including 220 patients who were on ventilation in the intensive care unit (ICU) between May 2019 and April 2020. Oral care decreased both the number of ICU days, as well as the amount of time of mechanical ventilation. (AJMC article, 5/11/22)