title: Pilot study of an oral care protocol on poststroke survivors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The pilot study purpose was to determine the effects of a new standardized oral care protocol (intervention) to usual care practices (control) in poststroke patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study is a randomized controlled clinical trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-one subjects were enrolled. Subjects in the intervention group received oral care twice a day including tooth brushing, tongue brushing, flossing, mouth rinse, and lip care while control patients received usual oral care.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Subjects in the control and intervention groups showed improvement in their oral health assessments, swallowing abilities and oral intake. There were no significant differences between the two groups. Although not statistically significant, overall prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus colonization in the control group almost doubled (from 4.8% to 9.5%), while colonization in the intervention group decreased (from 20.8% to 16.7%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings demonstrate the importance of oral care in the poststroke patient with dysphagia.
authors.affiliation: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chipps
authors.forename: Cindy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gatens
authors.forename: Lynn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Genter
authors.forename: Maureen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Musto
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dubis-Bohn
authors.forename: Molly
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gliemmo
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dudley
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Holloman
authors.forename: Armando E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Hoet
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Landers
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000379:methods* / Q000451:nursing*; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D010865:Pilot Projects; D019145:Rehabilitation Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000451:nursing / Q000534:rehabilitation; D020521:Stroke / Q000451:nursing*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Oral care; randomized control trial; stroke