mouth care for vent patient

Specialties MICU

Published

hi every body,

I want to ask about the best mouth care can be delivered for a vent patient, specifically teeth brushing...my instructor said it is better not to use the brush for those patient beacause it leads to a certain harm...any idea what kind of harm it could be..

any help will be appreciated

Many patients in ICUs are prescribed Heparin to prevent DVTs and therefore I believe the harm could come from small cuts or abrasions caused during mouth care with a bristle toothbrush. Where I work we only use green tipped sponge swabs to clean the patient's mouths.

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the harm could be refering to bacteria in the blood stream leading to endocarditis. However the likelihood of that is about nill. It usually only occurs with deep oral care such as a dental procedure. the AACN and many comericial products recommend tooth brushing. Pull up the AACN guidlines for oral care q 2 hours . Tooth brushing is right at the top of the list. It decreases Ventilator Associated Pneumonia and length of stay and ventilated days of care. Studied and proven. BRUSH YOUR TEETH- Your mom was right.

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What is your concern with Chlorhexadine?

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Specializes in Not too many areas I haven't dipped into.
What is your concern with Chlorhexadine?

I would like to know the answer to that as well.

I love all the stuff that everyone knows here and shares!:nuke:

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