The Role of Oral Care in Nonventilator Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia (NVHAP) Prevention

Dr Karen Giuliano has received a two-year grant from Delta Dental of Illinois for a study to determine the effectiveness of a universal, standardized oral care protocol on prevention of non-ventilated hospital-acquired pneumonia (NVHAP) in the acute care setting. The most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) point-prevalence survey reported that hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) has become the most common cause of hospital acquired infections. Of the HAPs, 67% were found to be non-ventilator hospital acquired pneumonia (NVHAP). NVHAP is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, longer hospital stays, increased ICU utilization, and increased costs. Understanding mechanisms to reduce the incidence of NVHAP remains of paramount importance to patient safety and there is an emerging body of literature on the role of oral care in NVHAP prevention.