Korean J Nosocomial Infect Control.  2012 Dec;17(2):79-86.

Effects of 0.12% Chlorhexidine Gluconate on the Oral Hygiene of Endotracheal Intubation Patients at Intensive Care Units

• Park JH
• Lee HS
• Kim JS

Abstract

BACKGROUND
This study tested the efficacy of 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate for improving oral hygiene in intubated intensive care patients.
METHODS
In a group of 57 ventilated patients, 29 received normal saline (NS) for oral hygiene, and 28 were treated with chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG). Data on oral bacterial colonization was collected for 11 months from October 2005 to August 2006. Tests of oral hygiene and oral microorganism culture were performed on the day of the ventilation, and repeated on days 4, 8, and 12.
RESULTS
Oral hygiene was significantly improved in the CHG group compared to that in the NS group (P<.001). Further, all patients (100%) in the NS group tested positive for Staphylococcus aureus on the 12th day after the endotracheal intubation, whereas only 42.9% (P=0.026) of the CHG group were positive. The NS group also had higher isolation rates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa at 66.7% on the 8th day after intubation and 87.5% on the 12th day. At these same intervals, the CHG group had isolation rates of 29.4% (P=.028) and 14.3% (P=.010) respectively.
CONCLUSION
The longer the period of endotracheal intubation, the more effective the 0.12% CHG treatment was for improved oral hygiene and reduction of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa colonization when compared to treatment with NS.

Keyword

Oral hygiene; Sodium chloride; Chlorhexidine gluconate; Microorganism

MeSH Terms

Chlorhexidine
Colon
Humans
Critical Care
Intensive Care Units
Intubation
Intubation, Intratracheal
Oral Hygiene
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Sodium Chloride
Staphylococcus aureus
Ventilation
Chlorhexidine
Sodium Chloride