Oral hygiene intervention to prevent systemic infections in ICU patients: a scoping review

This scoping review aims to synthesize the existing literature to understand the role oral health plays in the development of ventilator-associated pneumonia, non-ventilator-associated pneumonia, central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI), and acute otitis media in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, as well as the oral hygiene interventions that could be implemented in the ICU to prevent these systemic infections.

Scientific databases including PubMed, Science Direct, MDPI, Wiley, and Cochrane and other sources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), were used to search for literature related to oral bacteria and hospital-acquired infections, the oral condition of ICU patients, and the effectiveness of oral hygiene protocols for the prevention of hospital-acquired infections.

The findings of this review revealed that the oral health conditions of ICU patients can leave patients vulnerable to hospital-acquired infections, including ventilator-associated pneumonia, non-ventilator-associated pneumonia, CLABSI, and acute otitis media. Integrating oral hygiene interventions into routine care for ICU patients could be an effective approach to hospital-acquired infection prevention. Preventing hospital-acquired infections caused by oral microbial organisms may be achieved by understanding the optimal timing of oral hygiene interventions and identifying the most effective hospital protocols for preventing these infections.