title: [Importance of dental work in patients under intensive care unit].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In the intensive care unit, the nosocomial respiratory infection is responsible for high rates of morbidity, mortality and expressive increase in hospitals costs. Its establishment feels more commonly by the aspiration of the content present within the mouth and the pharynx. Thus we intended to review the literature on the participation of the oral condition in the establishment of the nosocomial respiratory infection.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Deficient oral hygiene is common in patients under intensive care, which provides the colonization of oral biofilm for pathogenic microorganisms, especially for respiratory pathogens. The studies clearly show that the amount of oral biofilm in patients under intensive care increases according to period hospitalization meanwhile there also is an increase in respiratory pathogens. That colonizes the oral biofilm. This biofilm is an important resource of pathogens in patients under intensive care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In spite of well-established hypotheses that narrow down the relationships between lung infections and the oral condition, the studies are not still completely defined. However, due to strong possibilities that these hypotheses are true, it is necessary to have and maintain the oral health, in addition to more integration of dentistry and of Medicine, seeking patients' global treatment, the prevention of diseases, and more humanization at the intensive care unit.
authors.affiliation: USP.
authors.forename: Teresa Márcia Nascimento de
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Morais
authors.affiliation: PUCSP.
authors.forename: Antonio da
authors.initials: Ad
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Odontologia, Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Barretos.
authors.forename: Ana Luiza Ribeiro de Oliveira
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Avi
authors.affiliation: FEB.
authors.forename: Patrícia Helena Rodrigues de
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.affiliation: Fundação Pio XII, Hospital do Câncer de Barretos.
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Knobel
authors.affiliation: Unidade Clínico-Cirúrgica, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein.
authors.forename: Luiz Fernando Aranha
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Camargo