Brushing Away Hospital Risks: The Importance of Proper Oral Care

Whether you’re the patient or the worried loved one, a hospital stay is often a whirlwind of stress, uncertainty and endless beeps from machines. Amid the chaos, it’s easy to forget the basics, like brushing your teeth. However, maintaining good oral care during your hospital stay isn’t just about keeping your breath fresh; it’s about addressing the risk of hospital-acquired pneumonia with the proper, necessary tools (Quinn, 2020).

Don’t brush off oral care

When you’re in the hospital, your body is already in a vulnerable state — battling a weakened immune system, recovering from surgery, or just dealing with the overall exhaustion of being bedridden. This makes all patients — ventilated and non-ventilated — a prime target for hospital-acquired infections. And while doctors and nurses are superheroes in scrubs, even they can’t do it all. That’s where being proactive during your hospital stay, like brushing your teeth, comes in.

Skipping out on your oral care may not seem like a big deal, but this daily routine can help you maintain healthy oral hygiene. While in the hospital, bacteria from the mouth can make their way into the lungs, potentially causing serious complications like pneumonia, which is the most common hospital-acquired infection (Magill, 2018). The risk of infection is real for everyone (Quinn, 2014).

It’s also important to recognize that not all toothbrushes are created equal. Settling for a basic toothbrush that may or may not be provided by the hospital could put you at additional risk. A recent study published in Clinical Nurse Specialist found that nearly 50% of hospital-provided toothbrushes were contaminated with bacteria. This highlights the need for higher-quality tools that are replaced after every use or every day to better protect your health and well-being during your stay.

The dirty details of hospital-acquired pneumonia

Hospital-acquired pneumonia affects nearly 1 in every 100 hospitalized patients (Munro, 2021). Even worse, a study published in the American Journal of Critical Care identified that nearly 37% of people who develop pneumonia during a hospital stay go on to develop sepsis, a life-threatening condition that happens when your body has an extreme reaction to infection. Sepsis can lead to widespread inflammation, organ failure, and, in severe cases, death.

“Non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia and its complications are responsible for 1 in 14 hospital deaths, with 1 in 5 patients who develop this infection never returning home,” said Barbara Quinn, DNP, RN, ACNS-BC, FCNS, former Director of Professional Practice & Nursing Excellence at Sutter Health (Jones, 2023). “Maintaining good oral care while in the hospital may seem like a small detail, but it can play a major role in recovery.”

According to a study in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, patients who develop non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia typically face prolonged hospital stays, averaging an additional 6.6 days. Even after recovery, the journey might not be over, as nearly 20% of pneumonia patients are readmitted within 30 days of discharge (Baker, 2018). The battle to regain full health often continues long after leaving the hospital, with lingering respiratory issues and weakened immunity making recovery even more challenging.

Keeping oral care on track

The solution is simple, but it’s often overlooked. If you or a loved one find yourself in the hospital, here’s how to stay on top of your oral care and address the risk factors of hospital-acquired pneumonia based on the ADA-approved evidence-based protocol:

• Request the right tools: Ask a nurse for a soft-bristled toothbrush, therapeutic toothpaste (look for one with sodium bicarbonate), antiseptic mouthwash, and a non-petroleum-based moisturizer.
• Stick to the routine: Brush your teeth 2-4 times a day – after each meal and before bedtime, just like you would at home.
• Swap out old brushes: Hospital rooms can be breeding grounds for bacteria, so ask for a fresh toothbrush daily or after every use (DeJuilio, 2023).

These small steps can make a big difference in keeping pneumonia at bay and helping you or your loved one bounce back faster. So, next time you’re tempted to skip your oral care routine, remember: your mouth might be the first line of defense against a hospital stay that gets complicated. Keep those pearly whites clean, and you’ll be smiling all the way to recovery.

To learn more about comprehensive oral care, hospital-acquired pneumonia, and how you can advocate for yourself and your loved ones, visit Stryker.com.