Oral hygiene with chlorhexidine and increase in time of hospitalization in an Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

Objective: to evaluating the effect of an oral hygiene routine with chlorhexidine solution in the length of stay of intensive care patients, comparing the number of days of permanence in the intensive care unit before and after protocol implementation. Methods: this is a quasi-experimental study held in 2020, which analyzed 126 medical records, which were divided into two groups (63 each) according to the use of chlorhexidine 0.12% in an oral hygiene routine: before use (2004-2010) and after use (2011-2020). The selection of patients was based on pairing by sex, age, underlying disease and comorbidities. Results: the mean age was 55 years old (±18,76). The median length of stay before and after the new oral care routine were 3.0 and 5.0 days, respectively, and a significant increase in duration of hospitalization after routine implementation was observed (OR=2.82; CI95%=1.06-4.87; p=0.033). Conclusion: after implementing the oral hygiene routine using a chlorhexidine, the length of stay of patients in the intensive care unit significantly increased.