Research Article: A Dentist-Led Oral Care System Can Prevent Stroke-Associated Pneumonia: The Effects of Early Intervention by Dental Team
Abstract:
The oral cavity is a reservoir of respiratory pathogens, and it is known that oral bacteria and the occurrence of respiratory diseases are associated.– Oral health care improves oral hygiene, strengthens the sensitivity of the cough reflex, and increases the concentration of substance P in the saliva. Moreover, it is also effective in suppressing pneumonia.– The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association recommend implementing oral hygiene protocols to prevent aspiration pneumonia. Similarly, the European Stroke Organisation and the European Society also support proactive oral health care interventions, and the Canadian Stroke Best Practice Recommendations for Acute Stroke Management suggested early referral to dentists if concerns regarding oral care are present. However, only a few facilities provide intensive dental interventions for acute stroke patients. In addition, hospital nurses in acute and post-acute settings tend not to prioritize oral care,, and % of junior doctors are not confident in diagnosing dental diseases. Therefore, our hospital employs full-time dentists and dental hygienists who work exclusively in the wards to accomplish best practices in oral healthcare. They were affiliated with the rehabilitation department and collaborated with the department of nursing to establish the dental care system (DCS) to suppress hospital-acquired pneumonia. This DCS has been enhanced recently with the introduction of a simplified, computer-based system for nurses to pass requests to the dental team, and bedside oral screening of all stroke patients within hours of admission by the dental team. In this study, we report the effects of these measures on the rate of stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP).
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