Oral care interventions in adult intensive care unit patients: A systematic review of oral and respiratory outcomes

Q: What does this research mean for the field?

Multicomponent, protocol-based oral care improves oral and mucosal health in adult ICU patients, but evidence for its effectiveness in reducing ventilator-associated pneumonia and improving major clinical outcomes remains inconsistent. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.SYNTHESIS. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

Vincenzo Ronsivalle; Paola Lo Giudice; Francesco Leonforte; Simona Santonocito; Giulia Tropea; Marco Cicciù

doi:10.1016/j.jtumed.2026.08.001

August 24, 2026Journal of Taibah University Medical SciencesOpen Access

Oral care interventions in adult intensive care unit patients: A systematic review of oral and respiratory outcomes

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Key Points

To systematically evaluate the impact of oral care interventions on oral mucosal health, microbiological profiles, respiratory complications, and clinical outcomes in adult intensive care unit patients.
Searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and LILACS from inception through February 1, 2025, for original full-text interventional studies evaluating oral care in adult ICU patients.
Assessed study quality using the RoB 2 and ROBINS-I tools and performed a narrative synthesis across 23 included studies due to clinical and methodological heterogeneity.
Protocol-driven oral care combining mechanical plaque removal, antiseptic cleansing, suctioning, and mucosal hydration consistently enhanced oral and mucosal health, with optimal improvements observed at 48–72 hours.
Microbiological suppression was largely transient, characterized by rapid bacterial recolonization after antiseptic treatment.
Respiratory and survival outcomes were inconsistent across the 23 studies; several noted lower ventilator-associated pneumonia incidence or better clinical scores with alternative rinses or higher-concentration chlorhexidine, whereas others reported no significant mortality or respiratory benefits.

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Implication

Systematic review finds protocolized oral care improves oral mucosal health in adult intensive care patients, suggesting unconfirmed benefits for ventilator-associated pneumonia.

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Ronsivalle et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a8fe94110c91c1e92620d63 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtumed.2026.08.001

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Oral care interventions in adult intensive care unit patients: A systematic review of oral and respiratory outcomes

Key Points

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Discussion

Cite This Study

Oral care interventions in adult intensive care unit patients: A systematic review of oral and respiratory outcomes

Key Points

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Implication

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