Application of the Modified Barrow Oral Care Protocol in Patients Receiving Mechanical Ventilation

Abstract

Objective: Adoption of an effective and feasible oral care protocol is vital for patients receiving mechanical ventilation (MV). This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of the modified Barrow Oral Care Protocol (MBOCP) in patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation in ICU. Methods: A double-blind clinical trial design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of MBOCP. A convenience sample of 90 patients admitted to two ICUs of a referral hospital from August 2019 to February 2020 were randomly assigned to intervention (n=45) and control (n=45) groups. Intervention group received oral care through MBOCP for 6 days and the control group received routine care. Repeated-measures ANOVA was used to compare the oral health between two groups. Results: The bedside oral health score showed significant difference between the two groups from the third day and continued until to the last day of study, indicating oral health improvement in the intervention group (P<0.001). Conclusion: The present study showed that the application of accessible oral care supplies such as toothbrush, non-foaming toothpaste, chlorhexidine and oral moisturizer through an evidence-based and protocolized care format is effective than a disorganized and routine oral care. It is recommended that nurses to apply available supplies in the form of established and evidence-based protocols for oral care in ICU.