Use of Fluorescence in the Diagnosis of Oral Health in Adult Patients Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of a Public Emergency Hospital

Patients admitted to Intensive Care Units (ICUs) may develop oral health problems, causing accumulation of dental biofilm, tongue coating and inflammation in periodontal tissues, considered microbial reservoirs of bacteria. Such problems are associated with hospital infections, in particular the increased risk of a respiratory infection known as mechanical ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). This specific oral health condition may be related to the lack of professional training in the ICUs, the absence of a participatory dental team in the clinical and educational context and the lack of specific and/or effective protocols. In this context, the present study aimed to verify the oral health condition of adult patients admitted to the intensive care unit of a public emergency hospital in Teresina-PI as well as the compliance with the recommendations of the standard operating procedure established by the Brazilian Association of Intensive Care Medicine (AMIB) regarding the use of the fluorescence technique for oral hygiene. The research was a descriptive, quantitative and observational study, and the research sample was made randomly among adult patients admitted to the ICU. The data collection occurred in two steps. The first involved a diagnosis of the presence of bacterial plaque in the oral cavity of patients hospitalized in the ICU using a fluorescence system, while the second consisted of a diagnosis by fluorescence made before and after oral hygiene with the application of the protocols recommended by AMIB. The results showed that the oral hygiene care performed in patients hospitalized in the ICU is deficient, with the absence of a standard hygiene protocol as well as a professional dental surgeon in the multidisciplinary team of the unit. Therefore, it is important to implement an oral hygiene protocol, according to AMIB, to prevent oral diseases, possible infections and worsening of the patients’ systemic condition.