Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 1, 2026
Murine Oropharyngeal Aspiration Model of Ventilator-associated and Hospital-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia
Published on: June 28, 2018
Original Research: Oral Care as Prevention for Nonventilator Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia: A Four-Unit Cluster
Karen K Giuliano1, Daleen Penoyer, Aurea Middleton
1Karen K. Giuliano is an associate professor at the College of Nursing and the Institute for Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst. Daleen Penoyer is the director of the Center for Nursing Research and Advanced Nursing Practice, Orlando Health, Orlando, FL. Aurea Middleton is the research coordinator for Orlando Health's Center for Nursing Research. Dian Baker is a professor at the School of Nursing, California State University, Sacramento. Financial support for this study was provided by Medline Industries (which supplied the kits used) and Orlando Health. Baker and Giuliano have also created a CE program on NV-HAP sponsored by Medline. An intervention toolkit is available from the authors. The authors acknowledge Joohyun Chung for her guidance and review of the statistical approach and analyses. Contact author: Karen K. Giuliano, kkgiuliano96@gmail.com . The authors have disclosed no other potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
Background:
Nonventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia (NV-HAP) presents a serious and largely preventable threat to patient safety in U.S. hospitals. There is an emerging body of evidence on the effectiveness of oral care in preventing NV-HAP.
Purpose:
The primary aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a universal, standardized oral care protocol in preventing NV-HAP in the acute care setting. The primary outcome measure was NV-HAP incidence per 1,000 patient-days.
Methods:
This 12-month study was conducted on four units at an 800-bed tertiary medical center. Patients on one medical and one surgical unit were randomly assigned to receive enhanced oral care (intervention units); patients on another medical and another surgical unit received usual oral care (control units).
Results:
Total enrollment was 8,709. For the medical control versus intervention units, oral care frequency increased from a mean of 0.95 to 2.25 times per day, and there was a significant 85% reduction in the NV-HAP incidence rate. The odds of developing NV-HAP were 7.1 times higher on the medical control versus intervention units, a significant finding. For the surgical control versus intervention units, oral care frequency increased from a mean of 1.18 to 2.02 times per day, with a 56% reduction in the NV-HAP incidence rate. The odds of developing NV-HAP were 1.6 times higher on the surgical control versus intervention units, although this result did not reach significance.
Conclusions:
These findings add to the growing body of evidence that daily oral care as a means of primary source control may have a role in NV-HAP prevention. The implementation of effective strategies to ensure that such care is consistently provided warrants further study. It's not yet known what degree and frequency of oral care are required to effect favorable changes in the oral microbiome during acute care hospitalization.
More Related Videos
06:57Use of an Integrated Low-Flow Anesthetic Vaporizer, Ventilator, and Physiological Monitoring System for Rodents
Published on: July 9, 2020
05:39Author Spotlight: A Non-Intubated Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery with Multimodal Analgesia and Sevoflurane Inhalation Anesthesia
Published on: May 26, 2023
Related Concept Videos
01:22Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...
01:25Transmission-based Precautions II: Airborne and Protective Environment
Airborne precautions:
Use airborne precautions when treating patients known or suspected to have diseases that spread through the air—for example, tuberculosis or measles. These organisms are present in smaller droplets expelled by an infected person and...
01:30Pneumonia I: Introduction
Risk Factors
Various factors influence the likelihood of developing pneumonia. Age plays a crucial role, with infants, children under two, and individuals over 65 at increased risk due to their...
01:28Pneumonia IV: Management
Bacterial Pneumonia Treatment
For bacterial pneumonia, antibiotics serve as the cornerstone of therapy. Initial treatment often begins with empirical antibiotics, tailored to the anticipated causative organism and adjusted based on culture results. Key antibiotic choices include:
01:30Pneumonia V: Nursing management and Prevention
The nurse must practice strict medical asepsis and adhere to infection control guidelines to minimize healthcare-associated infections.
Enhance airway patency
Position the patient correctly to facilitate drainage of the affected lung segments. Manual or mechanical percussion and vibration can also be employed.
01:29Pneumonia I: Introduction