Chlorhexidine vs Lactobacillus Plantarum for Oral Care in Intubated ICU Patients

Summary

Critically ill patients often need ventilatory support through a plastic tube connected to a ventilator. Those patients have a altered microbiological flora in the mouth, oropharynx as well as throughout the intestine. Bacteria that can cause illness are often found in the oropharynx in such patients and measures are taken in order to reduce the risk of secondary infections by those bacteria. In all intensive care patients oral care is provided by the nursing staff aiming at a reduction of the pathogenic species. This is done by a variety measures.

Chlorhexidine (CHX) is an antisepticum with a capability to reduce bacterial counts in the mouth and oropharynx and has been shown to be of value also for intubated patients. It is used frequently throughout the world.

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a costly rather frequent complication to intensive care and mechanical ventilation and is usually caused by aspiration of infected secretions from the oropharynx. CHX has in some studies been shown to reduce the frequency of VAP.

The probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum 299 has the ability to adhere to the mucosa throughout the gastro-intestinal tract including the mouth and in our pilot study we found that L plantarum had better ability to reduce colonisation with enteric bacteria in the oropharynx than CHX had. Figures not statistical significant so this present study is aiming to get a larger amount of data.

The procedure was found to be safe Hypothesis: Lactobacillus plantarum is better than CHX for the reduction of pathogenic bacteria in the oropharynx in intubated mechanically ventilated patients and consequently has a better potential to reduce the frequency of VAP

Conditions

• Pathogenic Bacteria in the Oropharynx
• Ventilator-associated Pneumonia

Interventions

PROCEDURE

Lactobacillus plantarum 299 for oral care

The study group will be attended in the same manor but the swabs used for cleansing are soaked with carbonated water directly from freshly opened bottles. As the final part of the procedure oral mucosal surfaces are pencilled with a suspension of the probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum 299 Cultures from the oropharynx and tracheal secretions are taken at inclusion (day 1) and then on days 2,3,5,7,10,14 and 21 or before extubation if this occurs on a non-culture day

PROCEDURE

Chlorhexidine for standard oral care

A The control group will receive the standard oral care of the department (general ICU, Lund University Hospital). This includes suction of secretions, brushing of teeth cleansing of the oral cavity with swabs soaked with a chlorhexidine solution. This procedure is performed twice a day. In between, suction whenever needed and cleansing with swabs soaked with carbonated bottled water is performed Cultures from the oropharynx and tracheal secretions are taken at inclusion (day 1) and then on days 2,3,5,7,10,14 and 21 or before extubation if this occurs on a non-culture day

Sponsors & Collaborators

• County Council of Halland, Sweden

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• Probi AB

  collaborator INDUSTRY

• Region Skane

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2010-04-30

Primary Completion

2016-01-31

Completion

2018-01-31

Countries

• Sweden

Study Locations