A Review of Documented Oral Care Practices in an Intensive Care Unit

Linda K. Goss, Mary-Beth Coty and John A. Myers
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Linda K. Goss: University of Louisville Hospital, KY, School of Nursing, University of Louisville, KY, lindago@ulh.org
Mary-Beth Coty: School of Nursing, University of Louisville, KY
John A. Myers: School of Public Health and Information Sciences, University of Louisville, KY

Clinical Nursing Research, 2011, vol. 20, issue 2, 181-196

Abstract: Oral care is recognized as an essential component of care for critically ill patients and nursing documentation provides evidence of this process. This study examined the practice and frequency of oral care among mechanically ventilated and nonventilated patients. A retrospective record review was conducted of patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) between July 1, 2007 and December 31, 2007. Data were analyzed using bivariate and multivariate analyses to determine the variables related to patients receiving oral care. Frequency of oral care documentation was found to be performed, on average, every 3.17 to 3.51 hr with a range of 1 to 8 hr suggesting inconsistencies in nursing practice. This study found that although oral care is a Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation for the prevention of hospital-associated infections like ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), indication of documentation of the specifics are lacking in the patients’ medical record.

Keywords: oral care practices; intensive care nursing; nursing documentation; hospital-associated infections; critical care patients (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:clnure:v:20:y:2011:i:2:p:181-196

DOI: 10.1177/1054773810392368

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