The efficacy of electric toothbrush with suction combined with chlorhexidine mouthwash in oral care for patients with severe traumatic brain injury on mechanical ventilation

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of electric toothbrush with suction combined with chlorhexidine mouthwash in oral care for patients with severe traumatic brain injury on mechanical ventilation.Methods 85 patients with severe head injury on mechanical ventilation were randomized into a study group (43 patients) and a control group (42 patients).The study group received oral care with electric toothbrush with suction combined with chlorhexidine mouthwash; while the control group received traditional oral care with cotton scrubs plus rinsing.The incidence rates of oral odor,mouth ulcers,and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP),and the plaque index were compared between the two groups.Results The rates of mouth odor,mouth ulcers,and VAP and the plaque index were significantly lower in the study group than in the control group [4 patients vs.12 patients,3 patients vs.10 patients,12％ vs.45％,and (1.20 ± 0.18) vs.(1.88 ± 0.22); P＜0.05].Conclusions Electric toothbrush with suction combined with chlorhexidine mouthwash in oral care for patients with severe traumatic brain injury on mechanical ventilation can effectively reduce oral odor,mouth ulcers,and plaque index,thus lowering the incidence of ventilatorassociated pneumonia. Key words: Mechanical ventilation;  Electric toothbrush with suction;  Chlorhexidine mouthwash; Severe traumatic brain injury