Oral care as a subject of patient safety in neurosurgical intensive care units

Abstract

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a nosocomial infection that is frequently seen in the intubated patients receiving mechanical ventilation support in intensive care units, and that can develop within 48 hours following intubation. VAP takes a distinct part among the nosocomial infections due to high mortality and morbidity rate, increase of the number of days on which mechanical ventilation support is received for maintenance of the respiratory activity and of the length of hospital stay, raise in healthcare expenses, and the labor loss caused by it. VAP is one of the most common nosocomial infections in intensive care unit and 47% of all nosocomial infections.Measures to be taken timely will reduce occurrence, motility and morbidity of nosocomial pneaumania. Pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions are recommended to prevent VAP development. One of the recommendations to prevent VAP development is application of a good oral care to patients receiving ventilatory support. Important roles fall to the intensive care nurses in development of the evidence-based mouth care protocols and implementation of such protocols for reduction of the incidence and prevalence of the VAP threatening the patient safety. In this respect, in this review, it was aimed to address the evidence-based practices and making suggestions regarding mouth care in prevention of VAP in neurosurgery intensive care patients.