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Hospital-acquired pneumonia is killing patients. Yet there is a simple way to stop it (Brush your teeth!)
Medical Xpress / Kaiser Health News ^ | July 21, 2022 | Brett Kelman

Posted on 07/29/2022 8:34:11 PM PDT by ConservativeMind

Hospital patients not getting their teeth brushed, or not brushing their teeth themselves, is believed to be a leading cause of hundreds of thousands of cases of pneumonia a year in patients who have not been put on a ventilator. A majority of cases are non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia, or NVHAP, which kills up to 30% of those infected.

Many cases of NVHAP could be avoided if hospital staffers more dutifully brushed the teeth of bedridden patients, according to a growing body of peer-reviewed research.

NVHAP, a risk for virtually all hospital patients, is often caused by bacteria from the mouth that gathers in the scummy biofilm on unbrushed teeth and is aspirated into the lungs.

According to the National Organization for NV-HAP Prevention, which was founded in 2020, this pneumonia infects about 1 in every 100 hospital patients and kills 15% to 30% of them. For those who survive, the illness often extends their hospital stay by up to 15 days and makes it much more likely they will be readmitted within a month or transferred to an intensive care unit.

In California, a study at 21 Kaiser Permanente hospitals used a reprioritization of oral care and getting patients out of bed to reduce rates of hospital-acquired pneumonia by around 70%. At Sutter Medical Center in Sacramento, better oral care reduced NVHAP cases by a yearly average of 35%.

At Orlando Regional Medical Center in Florida, a medical unit and a surgical unit where patients received enhanced oral care reduced NVHAP rates by 85% and 56%, respectively, when compared with similar units that received normal care.

And the most compelling results come from a veterans' hospital in Salem, Virginia, where a 2016 oral care pilot program reduced rates of NVHAP by 92%.

(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: hospitalacquired; nvhap; pneumonia
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This seems a gross oversight and also, just plain gross, to expect people to not have their mouths quasi-clean.
1 posted on 07/29/2022 8:34:11 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
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To: Pete from Shawnee Mission; Mazey; ckilmer; goodnesswins; Jane Long; BusterDog; jy8z; ...

The “Take Charge Of Your Health” Ping List

This high volume ping list is for health articles and studies which describe something you or your doctor, when informed, may be able to immediately implement for your benefit.

Email me to get on either the “Common/Top Issues” (20% fewer pings) or “Everything” list.

2 posted on 07/29/2022 8:34:40 PM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: ConservativeMind
Xylitol can starve the harmful bacteria in your mouth, reducing plaque buildup and tooth decay. This can help prevent dental cavities and inflammatory gum diseases.

Wonder if this applies to these pneumonia-causing bacteria?

I'll have to look into it.

Thanks for this post [and for all your personal health posts!].  ROFL face

3 posted on 07/29/2022 8:43:44 PM PDT by kiryandil (China Joe and Paycheck Hunter - the Chink in America's defenses)
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To: ConservativeMind

This makes perfect sense. Similarly, poor oral hygiene and weakened gums have been implicated in heart problems.


4 posted on 07/29/2022 8:47:45 PM PDT by Blurb2350 (posted from my 1500-watt blow dryer)
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To: Blurb2350

Shit brought in by illegal aliens.

Biden Disease.


5 posted on 07/29/2022 8:50:48 PM PDT by Surrounded_too
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To: Blurb2350; ConservativeMind
Similarly, poor oral hygiene and weakened gums have been implicated in heart problems.

Excellent point!

6 posted on 07/29/2022 9:03:57 PM PDT by kiryandil (China Joe and Paycheck Hunter - the Chink in America's defenses)
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To: Blurb2350

If you brush your pet dogs teeth daily, they will live past 15 years. The germs from mouth infect heart & kidneys.


7 posted on 07/29/2022 9:24:17 PM PDT by entropy12 (Trump & MAGA are the only way to keep USA viable.)
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To: ConservativeMind
Hmmm

And if you start coughing they will give you cough drop which would add to the problem.

8 posted on 07/29/2022 9:36:40 PM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (The nation of france was named after a hedgehog... The hedgehog's name was Kevin... Don't ask)
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To: kiryandil

Good question- also would just plain mouthwash help prevent it?

on another note- I read that pneumonia is the “Old Man’s Friend”, ie, it’s not a bad way to go- apparently the person goes unconscious right towards the end- I was always pretty fearful about it- thinking it was basically drowning- but apparently it’s not all that bad-

Pneumonia may well be called the friend of the aged. Taken off by it in an acute, short, not often painful illness, the old man escapes those ‘cold gradations of decay’ so distressing to himself and his friends.

– Sir William Osler (1898)


9 posted on 07/29/2022 9:36:50 PM PDT by Bob434 (question)
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To: ConservativeMind

brush teeth and a hydrogen peroxide mouthwash.


10 posted on 07/29/2022 9:39:40 PM PDT by taxcontrol (The choice is clear - either live as a slave on your knees or die as a free citizen on your feet.)
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To: Bob434
Good question- also would just plain mouthwash help prevent it?

Does the plain mouthwash kill the infecting bacteria, I guess the question would be.

11 posted on 07/29/2022 9:48:21 PM PDT by kiryandil (China Joe and Paycheck Hunter - the Chink in America's defenses)
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To: kiryandil

Yep- i meant prevent pneumonia- by killing the bacteria- some mouthwashes claim to kill a bunch of different bacteria- The following is an in vitro study done that suggests it would-

“Some active ingredients in mouthwash are effective against pneumonia-causing bacteria, according to the results of an in vitro study”

https://www.healio.com/news/infectious-disease/20200804/mouthwash-ingredients-effective-against-pneumonia-pathogens


12 posted on 07/29/2022 9:54:30 PM PDT by Bob434 (question)
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To: Bob434

My mom was a nurse. They would have patients that were essentially comatose. Unable to adequately brush the teeth if these patients my mom would soak the edge of a washcloth in cream and lay it in their mouth. Apparently the cream attracted the nasties Her patients never got pneumonia


13 posted on 07/29/2022 10:00:57 PM PDT by Nifster (I see puppy dogs in the clouds )
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To: kiryandil

I’ve used a plaque reducer mouthwash for years. Much Better than just an ordinary mouthwash.


14 posted on 07/29/2022 10:03:36 PM PDT by caww (O death, when you seized my Lord, you lost your grip on me......Augustine)
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To: caww

I’ll have to check into that. Thanks for the tip!


15 posted on 07/29/2022 10:11:38 PM PDT by kiryandil (China Joe and Paycheck Hunter - the Chink in America's defenses)
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To: Nifster

med folks don’t get the praise they deserve- like doing that for patients- when they cant fend for themselves- they take alot of abuse too, as patients are drugged up a lot, some become angry on drugs- Darvocet woudl do that to me- but other opioids don’t- not sure why darvocet does-


16 posted on 07/29/2022 10:12:02 PM PDT by Bob434 (question)
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To: kiryandil

You won’t be sorry!


17 posted on 07/29/2022 10:23:16 PM PDT by caww (O death, when you seized my Lord, you lost your grip on me......Augustine)
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To: Bob434

Thank you for giving a shout out to the meds who do hard duty

My daughter is a nurse. She had one guy in DTs try and break her arm because he didn’t want to be in hospital. She had him sign a release AMA and called the sheriff. He had somewhere else to sleep it off that night


18 posted on 07/29/2022 10:47:35 PM PDT by Nifster (I see puppy dogs in the clouds )
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To: ConservativeMind

Every once in a while I’ll watch medical procedure videos only. Some of them, like removing plaque so thick it looks like spackle, or ears so full of wax you wonder how they had room for brains, I find myself hoping the patient got that way by being unconscious for long periods.

This article indicates that might easily be the case.

I agree, this is a gross oversight, in every sense of the term!


19 posted on 07/30/2022 2:19:45 AM PDT by Ellendra (A single lie on our side does more damage than a thousand lies on their side.)
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To: taxcontrol

I think a few shots of Jack during the day would do more bacteria killing. I don’t know for sure but would be willing to try if if someone would buy me a case or two.


20 posted on 07/30/2022 4:03:48 AM PDT by oldasrocks
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