title: Use of oral rinse with enzymatic system in patients totally dependent in the intensive care unit.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU), in most cases do not have a proper oral hygiene. This deficient condition of oral hygiene in critical patients often triggers periodontitis, gingivitis and other systemic and oral complications. This research aimed to evaluate the efficiency of the antimicrobial action of a solution with bioactive enzymatic system for oral hygiene, in totally care-dependent patients admitted to ICU.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective, double blind pilot study was conducted with 20 patients admitted to an ICU, divided into 2 groups with the same technique of oral hygiene, protocols but using different solutions: the study group (n = 10) using an oral solution with enzymatic system and the control group (n = 10) using an oral solution based on cetylpyridinium.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results of microbiological cultures collected in the study group and control group, before and after the use of enzymatic solution, showed no significant difference between groups (p = 0.41). In clinical evaluation of the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (SOHI) statistical significance was found by the Fisher Exact test (p = 0.01) when comparing the study group and control group. The value of statistical significance was set at 5%, or p < 0.05.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of oral rinse with the lactoperoxidase enzyme was effective in the clinical evaluation of the oral hygiene of patients totally care-dependent in the hospital. This study stresses the importance of developing more research on the oral care of these patients.
authors.affiliation: FO, USP.
authors.forename: Paulo Sérgio da Silva
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Hospital Santa Isabel.
authors.forename: Walmyr Ribeiro de
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Mello
authors.affiliation: Hospital Santa Isabel.
authors.forename: Rosana Cláudia Scramin
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Wakim
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Terapia Intensiva, Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo.
authors.forename: Maria Ângela Gonçalves
authors.initials: MÂ
authors.lastname: Paschoal