Tooth brushing with mouth washing in oral care for intubated patients in ICU

Objective To investigate the effect of tooth brushing witth children's toothbrush plus mouth washing method in oral care for patients undergoing orotracheal intubation.Methods 268 patients undergoing orotracheal intubation were randomly divided into control group and study group, 134 for each group.The control group received conventional oral care with saline cotton ball scrub, while the study group received oral care with tooth brushing with children's toothbrush plus mouth washing and negative pressure attraction.The efficacy was compared between the two groups.Results In the control group,oral odor developed in 58 patients,stomatitis in 26,oral ulcers in 18,and lung infections in 14 but in the study group,the number of patients was 16,12,7,and 6,respectively.The dental plaque index was significantly lower in the study group than in the control group,with a significant statistical difference ( P ＜ 0.05 ).Conclusions Oral care with children's toothbrush plus mouth for patients undergoing orotracheal intubation can effectively reduce the occurrence of complications. Key words: Children's toothbrushes; Mouth washing; Endotracheal intubation; Oral care