title: Mouth care to reduce ventilator-associated pneumonia.
abstract: Despite the well-established association between good oral hygiene and the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), the importance of mouth care in infection control is seldom recognized. The authors discuss the pathophysiology of VAP and why oral care is crucial to its prevention. They also provide an evidence-based, step-by-step guide to providing optimal oral care for intubated patients.
authors.affiliation: Staja Booker is a student in the doctoral program at the University of Iowa College of Nursing, Iowa City. Sharon Murff is an assistant professor at Grambling State University School of Nursing, Grambling, LA. Lisa Kitko is an assistant professor at Pennsylvania State University School of Nursing, University Park, PA. Rita Jablonski is an associate professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Contact author: Staja Booker, booker3_06@yahoo.com. The authors and planners have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
authors.forename: Staja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Booker
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murff
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kitko
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jablonski
mesh_terms: D055499:Catheter-Related Infections / Q000451:nursing* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing*; D053717:Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated / Q000451:nursing* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods; D058996:Quality Improvement