Enhanced oral care interventions for preventing postoperative pneumonia in patients with esophageal cancer: A scoping review

Objectives This study aimed to systematically review oral care methods and intervention tools to prevent pneumonia in patients with esophageal cancer, thereby providing evidence for establishing clinical management and prevention strategies. Methods A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases. Nine articles were selected using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results Structured oral care interventions in the included studies were primarily initiated before surgery, and one study directly compared postoperative oral care methods. Routine postoperative oral care was also described in some other studies but was not evaluated as a separate comparison intervention. Dental hygienists and dentists primarily delivered these interventions. The most frequent components were oral hygiene education (67%), scaling and professional plaque control (56%), tongue cleaning (44%). The most commonly used tools were toothbrushes (67%), tongue cleaning devices, including sponge brushes (44%). The incidence of postoperative pneumonia was substantially lower in the oral care group (1.8%–11.8%) compared to the control group (4.5%–57.1%). Conclusions As pneumonia is associated with poor clinical outcomes in patients with esophageal cancer, oral care may be considered an important preventive measure. Standardized oral care guidelines and consistent oral hygiene management should be implemented throughout the entire course of treatment.