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A survey on oral care practices for ventilator‐assisted patients in intensive care units in 3 A hospitals of mainland C hina
Author(s) -
Qu Xing,
Xie Huixu,
Zhang Qi,
Zhou Xuedong,
Shi Zongdao
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
international journal of nursing practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.62
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1440-172X
pISSN - 1322-7114
DOI - 10.1111/ijn.12282
Subject(s) - medicine , intensive care unit , mainland china , intensive care , nursing , oral hygiene , family medicine , ventilator associated pneumonia , critical care nursing , vietnamese , intensive care medicine , china , dentistry , health care , political science , law , linguistics , philosophy , economics , economic growth
Oral hygiene is a critical element of patient care, particularly among patients who need ventilator‐assisted equipment. The objective of this study was to explore the current status of oral care practices, attitudes, education and knowledge among intensive care unit ( ICU ) nurses caring for ventilator‐assisted patients in 3 A hospitals in mainland C hina. To achieve this aim, an 18‐item self‐assessment questionnaire was mailed to head ICU nurses in 189 Grade 3 A hospitals. Additional data were collected through in‐person interviews at 38 ICU s throughout S ichuan, S hanxi, J iangsu provinces, as well as C hongqing and B eijing. We found that most ICU s conducted oral examinations at patient admission, and that this care was largely provided by nurses. The most common oral care methods were foam swabs and mouth rinse containing antibiotics or disinfectants. Although the majority of ICU s provided continuing training for oral care, and most training was conducted by head nurses, the content and scope of training were not consistent among the hospitals in the study. The most popular sources of oral care knowledge were academic journals, Internet and professional books. Overall, it is clear that an evidence‐based oral care standard manual is urgently needed for oral practice in ICU s in mainland C hina.