Daily Toothbrushing Cuts Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Dec. 22, 2023 -- Daily toothbrushing among hospitalized patients is associated with lower rates of hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) and improved outcomes, according to a review published online Dec. 18 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Selina Ehrenzeller, M.D., and Michael Klompas, M.D., M.P.H., from Harvard University in Boston, conducted a systematic literature review and meta-analysis to assess whether daily toothbrushing may be an effective strategy to prevent HAP.
Based on 15 included trials (10,742 patients), the researchers found that toothbrushing was associated with a significantly lower risk for HAP (risk ratio [RR], 0.67) and intensive care unit (ICU) mortality (RR, 0.81). This reduction in pneumonia incidence was significant for patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation (RR, 0.68) but not for patients who were not receiving invasive mechanical ventilation. Furthermore, toothbrushing for patients in the ICU was associated with fewer days of mechanical ventilation (mean difference, −1.24 days) and a shorter ICU length of stay (mean difference, −1.78 days). Similar effect estimates were seen for brushing twice a day or at more frequent intervals. When restricting the analysis to seven studies at low risk for bias (1,367 patients), results were similar. No association was seen for toothbrushing on non-ICU hospital length of stay and use of antibiotics.
"Programs and policies to encourage daily toothbrushing are warranted," the authors write.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted December 2023
Read this next
Certain Oral Bacteria Tied to Risk for New Head, Neck Squamous Cell Cancer
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 2, 2024 -- Certain oral bacteria are a risk factor for development of head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC), according to a study published online Sept. 26...
Diabetes Complications Tied to Higher Risk for Gum Disease
THURSDAY, Sept. 19, 2024 -- Neuropathy and retinopathy are positively associated with moderate/severe periodontitis, according to a study published online Aug. 5 in the Journal of...
Discordant Pneumonia Diagnosis From Presentation to Discharge Common
MONDAY, Aug. 5, 2024 -- Discordant diagnoses from initial presentation to discharge occur in more than half of patients hospitalized and treated for pneumonia, according to a...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.