Abstract
Introduction: The purpose of this point-of-care study was
to test the efficacy of a prevention-based oral care protocol
in reducing non-ventilator-associated hospital-acquired
pneumonia in a neurosurgical population outside the critical
care environment. The researchers hypothesized that an
enhanced oral care protocol would decrease the incidence of
pneumonia.
Methods: This quasi-experimental, comparative study took
place on an acute neurosurgical unit at a tertiary care trauma
hospital in Western Canada. Subjects were non-intubated, caredependent
adults with a primary diagnosis of neurologic injury/
insult, and at high risk for pneumonia. The prospective study
group comprised 34 subjects; two subjects were excluded from
the study analysis. The retrospective study group comprised 51
subjects.
Data were collected for both groups for a six-month period.
Retrospective data were collected through chart review. The
prospective group were eligible neurosurgical patients who
received the enhanced oral care protocol. Data collection