Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia is the most frequent infection occurring in mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care unit. Ventilator-associated pneumonia is a serious issue and remains a significant clinical problem for critically ill patients. The aim of this review article is to evaluate studies to conclude the best existing evidence for providing oral hygiene to intensive care unit patients receiving mechanical ventilation, determine the clinical evidence considering chlorhexidine, and to document a research to improve care interventions used for oral care in the critical patients.

Materials and Methods: Searching was performed in the databases: Sciencedirect, SID, CINAHL, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, Springer and PubMed for accessibility to the studies carried out regarding with chlorhexidine mouthwash and ventilator-associated pneumonia between 1991 to 2014 years by using keywords: chlorhexidine mouthwash and ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Results: Although oral care with chlorhexidine cause a reduce the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia, but no evidence exists on decrease of mortality in patients undergoing mechanical ventilation admitted in the intensive care unit following its using. Conclusion: Base on this current review article can be said that protective effect of chlorhexidine mouthwash has proved in oral health and prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia in the critical patients, but unfortunately no evidence exists to the appropriate protocol for using of chlorhexidine mouthwash in these patients.

Abstract

Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the most important causes of mortality in intubated traumatic patients admitted in ICU. The aim of current study was to determine correlation between blood products transfusion with incidence of VAP in traumatic patients under mechanical ventilation in ICU.

Materials and Methods: This study was a prospective descriptive-analytical study. Current study was carried out on traumatic patients under mechanical ventilation admitted to Imam Khomeini hospital ICU wards of Sari city, from September 2015 to September 2016. In addition to demographic data, patients' clinical information were daily recorded.

Results: Of total of 2304 patients admitted to ICU, 186 traumatic patients under mechanical ventilation longer than 48 hours were reviewed and analyzed. Among patients infected with VAP, 36 persons(87.8%) had transfusion of blood products before VAP incidence. Blood products transfusion (before and / or after 48 hours) had the highest adjusted risk ratio in the incidence of VAP (Odds ratio; OR=3.58). Also, amount of injected Packed Red Blood Cells and platelet were significantly higher in patients infected with VAP (p<0.005).

Conclusion: Considering remarkable increase in incidence of VAP following blood products transfusion and its correlation with injected PRBC and platelet, considering these modifiable risk factors for controlling and preventing the incidence of VAP in traumatic patients under mechanical ventilation in ICU is necessary and reasonable.