Effect of oral hygiene interventions on opportunistic pathogens in patients after stroke

Despite the role of the oral cavity as a reservoir of opportunistic pathogens for infection in patients following stroke, the evaluation of the effects of oral hygiene interventions has been largely neglected.

This randomized clinical trial included 102 patients undergoing hospital-based rehabilitation for stroke. Patients were randomized to one of 3 groups: oral hygiene instruction (OHI) only; OHI and 0.2% chlorhexidine mouth rinse twice daily; or OHI, 0.2% chlorhexidine mouth rinse twice daily, and assisted brushing twice weekly. Oral samples were obtained at baseline and after 3 weeks for detection of Staphylococcus aureus, aerobic and facultatively anaerobic gram-negative bacilli, and yeasts.

Almost three-quarters (72.8%) of the patients harbored oral anaerobic gram-negative bacilli at baseline, and more than half had detectable S aureus (56.8%) and yeasts (59.3%). Percentage frequencies and viable counts of pathogens remained relatively stable during the course of the clinical trial, and no significant differences were observed among the 3 patient groups.

In our study cohort, there was no significant difference in the effectiveness of the 3 different oral hygiene interventions on the prevalence or viable counts of oral opportunistic pathogens.