Oral evaluation of children and adolescents in intensive care unit

Abstract

Introduction: Hospitalized children can present some complications if they do not present a correct oral care during hospitalization. Objective: This study aimed to perform an oral evaluation of children and adolescents hospitalized in an intensive care unit of a children’s hospital at southern Brazil. Material and methods: 49 subjects were examined, aged from 0 to 17 years old, using themodified Oral Assessment Guide (OAGm). The lips, corner of the mouth, gums, oral mucosa, saliva, tongue, and teeth were examined. Each category was classified in a numeric scale from 1 to 3, where 1 means the better condition and 3 the worse. Results: The results showed alterations in the lips, tongue, oral biofilm, and saliva in most of the subjects. The OAGm value indicated a worse oral condition in older children. The OAGm values for children with teeth were higher than that for edentulous children, this difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). Conclusion: It could be concluded that children hospitalized in an intensive care unit show deficiency in oral health when assessed through OAGm.