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Published on: December 31, 2017
Oral Microbial Colonization in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Patients
Cinthia Gonçalves Barbosa de Castro Piau1, Tatiana Degani Paes Leme Azevedo2, Adriano Gonçalves Barbosa de Castro Piau2
1Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Catholic University of Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil. cinthiagbcastro@hotmail.com.
Insights
Implementing an oral hygiene protocol in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) significantly reduced pathogenic bacteria in children's mouths. Regular oral care is crucial for hospitalized children's oral health.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Intensive Care
- Oral Microbiology
- Infection Control
Background:
- Hospitalized children, particularly in PICUs, are susceptible to oral microbial colonization.
- Assessing oral microbial profiles is essential for understanding infection risks in critically ill children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate changes in oral microbial colonization in PICU children before and after an oral hygiene protocol.
- To compare oral microbial profiles of PICU children with healthy, non-hospitalized children.
Main Methods:
- A clinical study involving two groups: PICU children (G1) and healthy controls (G2).
- G1 underwent oral assessments (G1i: baseline, G1f: post-protocol) after a 3-day chlorhexidine oral hygiene protocol.
- Chlorhexidine (0.12%) was applied every 12 hours.
Main Results:
- PICU children (G1i) had significantly higher levels of pathogenic bacteria than healthy controls (G2).
- The oral hygiene protocol significantly reduced pathogenic bacteria and tongue coat in G1 (G1f vs. G1i).
- Post-protocol, G1f showed comparable levels of pathogenic bacteria to G2.
Conclusions:
- Oral hygiene protocols effectively decrease pathogenic bacteria in PICU patients.
- Regular implementation of oral hygiene is recommended for PICU patients to improve oral health and reduce infection risk.
Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to assess oral microbial colonization before and after the implementation of an oral hygiene protocol in children admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) using nonhospitalized healthy children as a control group.
Methods:
Two groups were analyzed in this clinical study: Group G1 (dentate children admitted to the PICU); and Group G2 (nonhospitalized, healthy, dentate children). The G1 group underwent oral assessments before (G1i) and after (G1f) a three-day oral hygiene protocol using 0.12 percent chlorhexidine applied at 12-hour intervals.
Results:
Several pathogenic bacteria were identified in group G1i, which was significantly higher than in group G2 (P<.001). There were significant differences between groups G1i and G1f regarding the presence of pathogenic bacteria (P<.001) and a tongue coat (P<.001). The G1f and G2 groups were comparable concerning the presence of pathogenic bacteria (P=.14).
Conclusions:
Pathogenic bacteria were present in the oral cavity of almost all hospitalized children and were significantly decreased after an appropriate oral hygiene protocol was incorporated in their daily care. Therefore, regular oral hygiene protocols are warranted in PICUs.
