Interprofessional practice: translating evidence-based oral care to hospital care.

A diagnosis of ventilator-acquired pneumonia (VAP) is made when an intubated, mechanically ventilated patient is diagnosed with pneumonia 48 hours after admission. VAP has been associated with poor oral hygiene, and this link has galvanized healthcare workers and researchers to explore effective methods of oral hygiene to reduce rates of VAP and other nosocomial infections.1 Oral care regimens to improve oral health have been well established in the outpatient setting, but such standards are not as consistent in critically ill hospitalized patients. While intensive care unit (ICU) nurses rate oral care as important, most oral care practices in the ICU are inadequate. Protocols usually consist of foam sticks, standard toothpastes, and a saline rinse. Although the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) has advocated toothbrushing and declared it to be one of the standards of critical care, less than 44% of critical care nurses report brushing teeth.2