Electric Versus Manual Tooth Brushing among Neuroscience ICU Patients: Is it Safe?

Poor oral hygiene has been associated with ventilator-acquired pneumonia. Yet providing oral care for intubated patients is problematic. Furthermore, concerns that oral care could raise intracranial pressure (ICP) may cause nurses to use foam swabs to provide oral hygiene rather than tooth brushing as recommended by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. Evidence is needed to support the safety of toothbrushing during oral care. We therefore evaluated ICP and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) during oral care with a manual or electric toothbrush in intubated patients in a neuroscience intensive care unit (ICU). As part of a larger 2-year, prospective, randomized clinical trial, 47 adult neuroscience ICU patients with an ICP monitor received oral care with a manual or electric toothbrush. ICP and CPP were recorded before, during, and after oral care over the first 72 h of admission. Groups did not differ significantly in age, gender, or severity of injury. Of 807 ICP and CPP measurements obtained before, during, and after oral care, there were no significant differences in ICP (P = 0.72) or CPP (P = 0.68) between toothbrush methods. Analysis of pooled data from both groups revealed a significant difference across the three time points (Wilks' lambda, 12.56; P < 0.001; partial eta(2), 0.36). ICP increased significantly (mean difference, 1.7 mm Hg) from before to during oral care (P = 0.001) and decreased significantly (mean difference, 2.1 mm Hg) from during to after oral care (P < 0.001). In the absence of preexisting intracranial hypertension during oral care, tooth brushing, regardless of method, was safely performed in intubated neuroscience ICU patients

Porównanie występowania bakterii szpitalnej w gardle środkowym i górnych drogach oddechowych przy zastosowaniu dwóch metod pielęgnacji jamy ustnej: badania na próbie losowej

Introduction. To compare changes in oral and respiratory nosocomial colonization during the first week of mechanical ventilation in adult Neuroscience ICU patients randomized to a standard or comprehensive oral care protocol. Development of ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) within each protocol was also investigated.Material and methods. Patients were randomized to one of two groups. The standard oral care protocol included a manual pediatric toothbrush, toothpaste, and watersoluble lubricant. The comprehensive protocol consisted of tongue scraping, an electric toothbrush with a non-foaming toothpaste, followed by a moisturizing agent. Both groups received the assigned oral care protocol twice daily, with tooth brushing lasting two minutes per occasion. Oral and sputum cultures were obtained on admission and every 48 hours while intubated.Results. Data from a total of 78 patients were analyzed. The standard protocol included 40 patients (mean age 51 ± 18 years); the comprehensive protocol 38 patients (mean age 51 ± 18 years). No significant differences in Glasgow Coma Score, diagnosis, or co-morbidities were found on admission. Oral colonization on admission was noted in 25% of patients in each protocol. There was a trend of reduced oral and respiratory nosocomial colonization among those in the comprehensive protocol but no significant differences were noted between groups. Incidence of VAP was equivalent (p=0.61) for the standard and comprehensive groups at day six.Conclusions. Use of a tongue scraper, electric toothbrush, and oral gel resulted in less oral and respiratory colonization by known nosocomial pathogens. Larger studies are necessary to further investigate comprehensive oral care. (PNN 2012;1(1):10-18)Wprowadzenie. Porównanie zmian wywołanych bakterią szpitalną w obrębie jamy ustnej i górnych dróg oddechowych podczas pierwszego tygodnia wentylowania u dorosłych pacjentów neurologicznych, przebywających na oddziale intensywnej opieki medycznej, losowo wybranych do pielęgnacji jamy ustnej w sposób standardowy lub rozszerzony. Zbadanie przypadków odrespiratorowego zapalenia płuc w obu metodach zachowania higieny jamy ustnej.Materiał i metody. Pacjenci zostali losowo przydzieleni do jednej z dwóch grup. Standardowy sposób postępowania w pielęgnacji jamy ustnej polegał na zastosowaniu tradycyjnej dziecięcej szczoteczki do zębów, pasty do zębów i rozpuszczalnego w wodzie środka nawilżającego. Metoda rozszerzona polegała na szczotkowaniu języka, z zastosowaniem elektrycznej szczoteczki do zębów niepieniącą się pastą oraz środka nawilżającego. U każdej z grup przypisaną metodę stosowano dwa razy dziennie, każdorazowo szczotkując zęby przez 2 minuty. Przy przyjęciu na oddział oraz co 48 godzin pobierano od zaintubowanych pacjentów próbki śliny i wymaz z jamy ustnej w celu zbadania kultur bakterii.Wyniki. Analizie poddano wyniki 78 pacjentów. Standardowy sposób postępowania w higienie jamy ustnej zastosowano u 40 pacjentów (średni wiek 51-18 lat), natomiast rozszerzony u 38 pacjentów (średni wiek 51-18 lat). W chwili przyjęcia na oddział nie zaobserwowano statystycznie istotnych różnic w skali śpiączki Glasgow (GlasgowComa Scale), diagnozie ani współwystępujących chorobach. Bakterie w jamie ustnej w chwili przyjęcia na oddział zaobserwowano u 25 % pacjentów w każdej z dwóch grup. Zauważono tendencję spadkową w odniesieniu do liczby szpitalnych bakterii w jamie ustnej i układzie oddechowym u pacjentów przypisanych do metody rozszerzonej, ale nie znaleziono znaczących różnic pomiędzy grupami. W szóstym dniu odsetek odrespiratorowego zapalenia płuc w obu grupach (standardowej i rozszerzonej) był taki sam (p=0,61).Wnioski. W wyniku zastosowania szczoteczki do języka, szczoteczki elektrycznej oraz żelu do higieny jamy ustnej liczba bakterii szpitalnych atakujących jamę ustną i układ oddechowy była mniejsza. Potrzebne są szersze badania w celu dalszego zbadania działania rozszerzonej metody zachowania higieny jamy ustnej. (PNN 2012;1(1):10-18

Independent and combined effects of improved water, sanitation, and hygiene, and improved complementary feeding, on child stunting and anaemia in rural Zimbabwe: a cluster-randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: Child stunting reduces survival and impairs neurodevelopment. We tested the independent and combined effects of improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), and improved infant and young child feeding (IYCF) on stunting and anaemia in in Zimbabwe. METHODS: We did a cluster-randomised, community-based, 2 × 2 factorial trial in two rural districts in Zimbabwe. Clusters were defined as the catchment area of between one and four village health workers employed by the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Care. Women were eligible for inclusion if they permanently lived in clusters and were confirmed pregnant. Clusters were randomly assigned (1:1:1:1) to standard of care (52 clusters), IYCF (20 g of a small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplement per day from age 6 to 18 months plus complementary feeding counselling; 53 clusters), WASH (construction of a ventilated improved pit latrine, provision of two handwashing stations, liquid soap, chlorine, and play space plus hygiene counselling; 53 clusters), or IYCF plus WASH (53 clusters). A constrained randomisation technique was used to achieve balance across the groups for 14 variables related to geography, demography, water access, and community-level sanitation coverage. Masking of participants and fieldworkers was not possible. The primary outcomes were infant length-for-age Z score and haemoglobin concentrations at 18 months of age among children born to mothers who were HIV negative during pregnancy. These outcomes were analysed in the intention-to-treat population. We estimated the effects of the interventions by comparing the two IYCF groups with the two non-IYCF groups and the two WASH groups with the two non-WASH groups, except for outcomes that had an important statistical interaction between the interventions. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01824940. FINDINGS: Between Nov 22, 2012, and March 27, 2015, 5280 pregnant women were enrolled from 211 clusters. 3686 children born to HIV-negative mothers were assessed at age 18 months (884 in the standard of care group from 52 clusters, 893 in the IYCF group from 53 clusters, 918 in the WASH group from 53 clusters, and 991 in the IYCF plus WASH group from 51 clusters). In the IYCF intervention groups, the mean length-for-age Z score was 0·16 (95% CI 0·08-0·23) higher and the mean haemoglobin concentration was 2·03 g/L (1·28-2·79) higher than those in the non-IYCF intervention groups. The IYCF intervention reduced the number of stunted children from 620 (35%) of 1792 to 514 (27%) of 1879, and the number of children with anaemia from 245 (13·9%) of 1759 to 193 (10·5%) of 1845. The WASH intervention had no effect on either primary outcome. Neither intervention reduced the prevalence of diarrhoea at 12 or 18 months. No trial-related serious adverse events, and only three trial-related adverse events, were reported. INTERPRETATION: Household-level elementary WASH interventions implemented in rural areas in low-income countries are unlikely to reduce stunting or anaemia and might not reduce diarrhoea. Implementation of these WASH interventions in combination with IYCF interventions is unlikely to reduce stunting or anaemia more than implementation of IYCF alone. FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UK Department for International Development, Wellcome Trust, Swiss Development Cooperation, UNICEF, and US National Institutes of Health.The SHINE trial is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP1021542 and OPP113707); UK Department for International Development; Wellcome Trust, UK (093768/Z/10/Z, 108065/Z/15/Z and 203905/Z/16/Z); Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation; US National Institutes of Health (2R01HD060338-06); and UNICEF (PCA-2017-0002)

PANC Study (Pancreatitis: A National Cohort Study): national cohort study examining the first 30 days from presentation of acute pancreatitis in the UK

Abstract Background Acute pancreatitis is a common, yet complex, emergency surgical presentation. Multiple guidelines exist and management can vary significantly. The aim of this first UK, multicentre, prospective cohort study was to assess the variation in management of acute pancreatitis to guide resource planning and optimize treatment. Methods All patients aged greater than or equal to 18 years presenting with acute pancreatitis, as per the Atlanta criteria, from March to April 2021 were eligible for inclusion and followed up for 30 days. Anonymized data were uploaded to a secure electronic database in line with local governance approvals. Results A total of 113 hospitals contributed data on 2580 patients, with an equal sex distribution and a mean age of 57 years. The aetiology was gallstones in 50.6 per cent, with idiopathic the next most common (22.4 per cent). In addition to the 7.6 per cent with a diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis, 20.1 per cent of patients had a previous episode of acute pancreatitis. One in 20 patients were classed as having severe pancreatitis, as per the Atlanta criteria. The overall mortality rate was 2.3 per cent at 30 days, but rose to one in three in the severe group. Predictors of death included male sex, increased age, and frailty; previous acute pancreatitis and gallstones as aetiologies were protective. Smoking status and body mass index did not affect death. Conclusion Most patients presenting with acute pancreatitis have a mild, self-limiting disease. Rates of patients with idiopathic pancreatitis are high. Recurrent attacks of pancreatitis are common, but are likely to have reduced risk of death on subsequent admissions. </jats:sec

Safety and efficacy of oral care for intubated neuroscience intensive care unit patients.

The overall aim of this research was to investigate the safety of oral care in terms of intracranial dynamics and changes in oral health during intubation and 48 hours after extubation among neuroscience intensive care unit (NICU) patients. Additional aims included comparison of a comprehensive oral care protocol (i.e., tongue scraping, electric toothbrush, non-foaming toothpaste, and application of oral moisturizers) to a standard protocol (pediatric manual toothbrush, standard toothpaste, lubricant) with respect to safety and efficacy to promote oral health and to reduce the incidence of oral nosocomial bacteria and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in NICU patients. First, a 12-month prospective cohort study with data from 45 intubated patients in an NICU was conducted to identify changes in oral health during intubation until 48 hours after extubation. Specifically, changes in oral health, intracranial pressure (ICP) recorded during non-specified oral care, the prevalence of oral nosocomial bacteria, and the incidence of VAP were analyzed. The results from the cohort study (Paper I) reflected significant deterioration in oral health during intubation and improved oral health 48 hours after extubation, as measured by the Oral Assessment Guide (OAG). During unspecified oral care methods, normal ICP recordings remained stable while ICP values greater than 20 mm Hg before oral care decreased after care (p<0.001). Progressive colonization of oral nosocomial bacteria was documented during intubation, and the overall rate of VAP was 24%. Based on literature and the results of the cohort study (Paper I), it was then hypothesized that a comprehensive oral care protocol would be safely tolerated by NICU patients, oral health would improve, and a decrease in oral nosocomial bacteria and the frequency of VAP compared to NICU patients receiving standard oral care would be observed. A two-year randomized controlled trial (RCT) was therefore conducted to compare the outcomes of intubated NICU patients undergoing a standard oral care protocol or a comprehensive oral care protocol. Outcome variables included changes in ICP and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) among 47 patients (Paper II); changes in oral health among 56 patients (Paper III); and changes in oral and sputum nosocomial bacteria and the frequency of VAP among 78 patients (Paper IV). During standard and comprehensive oral care (Paper II) ICP increased significantly (mean increase 1.7 mm Hg, p<0.001), while ICP decreased significantly (mean decrease 2.1 mm Hg) after oral care (p<0.001). Neither change was clinically significant. There were no changes in CPP before, during, or after oral care. Based on the total OAG score and all item measurements (p<0.001), oral health deteriorated significantly in patients receiving the standard protocol and large effect sizes were present (Paper III). The total OAG score of subjects receiving the comprehensive oral care protocol also deteriorated (p<0.004), but no deterioration was noted in the individual item scores for teeth, tongue, gingiva, or mucous membranes. During the first week of intubation, there were no significant differences in the oral and respiratory nosocomial colonization between groups (Paper IV). However, patients in the comprehensive group tended to have fewer nosocomial colonized oral and sputum samples. VAP rates were equivalent between the two treatment groups (p=0.61). A comprehensive oral care protocol appeared to be safely tolerated in NICU patients with normal ICP values. Four key components of oral health (i.e., teeth, tongue, gingiva, and mucous membranes) were supported by the comprehensive oral care protocol. Further research is necessary to refine the psychometric properties of the OAG for intubated patients and to define optimum oral care practices for this at-risk population

Evaluation and Acceptance of an Electric Toothbrush Designed for Dependent Patients

INTRODUCTION: A key barrier to standardizing evidence-based oral health protocols for highly dependent patients is the lack of validated and accepted oral health products designed specifically for use by caregivers. This study compared preferences by users of a novel electric toothbrush and a manual toothbrush in a health care setting. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled health care providers as volunteers. Volunteer brushers completed simulated tooth brushing sessions of mock-intubated and non-intubated volunteer brushees with both toothbrushes. Volunteers rated different domains of toothbrush preference in an anonymous, optional survey. RESULTS: A total of 133 health care providers volunteered (123 brushers [providers brushing teeth] and 10 brushees [those having their teeth brushed]). The novel electric toothbrush received significantly higher positive ratings than the standard hospital-issue manual toothbrush in all domains that we surveyed: ease of use, thoroughness, safety, shape and size of the brush head, overall cleanliness, time requirements, and efficiency (p\u3c0.001). Importantly, due to the integrated light and suction of this electric toothbrush, brushers completed more sessions without setting down the toothbrush with the electric toothbrush than with the manual toothbrush (75.4% vs 36.4%; p\u3c0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Integrating a lighted electric brush with suction into the caregiver\u27s armamentarium as an evidence-based tool is warranted and should be evaluated in terms of patient outcomes

Colored pain drawings: preliminary observations in a neurosurgical practice

Background: Black and white pain drawings were introduced as a proposed means to identify patients, presenting with low back pain, who demonstrated functional overlay upon neurological testing. The use of color may enhance the usefulness of such pain drawings, but has not been described for adult patients. Aims: To retrospectively explore the use of colored pain drawings in patients with neck, low back, or radicular pain. Methods: Patients with neck, low back, or radicular pain referred to a community-based neurosurgical practice for evaluation during 1 year (n = 359) depicted their pain on anatomical drawings using colored pencils representing different pain characteristics. Patients with abnormal (n = 55) and normal (n = 54) pain drawings were selected for this study. Use of medications, findings on physical examination, radiographic findings, activity levels, Waddell signs, and pending litigation were recorded and compared between patients with normal and abnormal pain drawings, as assessed according to the Ransford penalty point system. Results: Patients whose colored pain drawings were abnormal, demonstrated a greater use of medications, more non-focal clinical findings, Waddell signs, impaired activity levels, involvement in pending litigation, and significantly fewer pathological radiographic findings than patients with normal pain drawings. Conclusions: Our findings agree with previous observations using black and white pain drawings, indicating that colored pain drawings are no less useful than the black and white approach. Further research is necessary to examine the psychometric properties and clinical usefulness of colored pain drawings to predict outcomes and/or determine treatment. (C) 2002 European Federation of Chapters of the International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved

The Bedside Oral Exam and the Barrow Oral Care Protocol: translating evidence-based oral care into practice

AIM: To introduce the Bedside Oral Exam (BOE) and the Barrow Oral Care Protocol (BOCP) to guide oral care for intensive care unit patients. Secondary aim: To explore quality improvement data for incidence of ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP), cost effectiveness of oral hygiene supplies and staff response to change in practice. METHODS: Descriptive case design for implementation and evaluation of oral assessments and oral hygiene. Incidence of VAP and the cost of oral care supplies before and after implementation was compared. Staff responses were elicited both pre- and post-implementation. RESULTS: Incidence of VAP fell significantly from 4.21 to 2.1 per 1000 ventilator days (p =.04). A cost savings of 65% was noted on a monthly basis for oral hygiene supplies. Staff reported increased satisfaction in providing oral hygiene with a combination of oral care products. CONCLUSIONS: A significant reduction in VAP was noted using the BOCP. The BOE guided individualised oral care with contemporary supplies, including a tongue scraper, electric toothbrush, non-foaming toothpaste and oral moisturisers. Cost-effective, comprehensive oral care appears to be effective in reducing VAP. Further studies are needed to assess impact of oral hygiene on oral health and patient comfort