A lthough meticulous oral care has been shown
to reduce the risk of ventilator-associated
pneumonia (VAP), oral care practices among
critical care nurses remain inconsistent, with mouth
care often perceived as a comfort measure rather
than as a critical component of infection control.1-6
VAP develops from a bacterial infection of the lung
parenchyma and may emerge as early as 48 to 96
hours following respiratory intubation.7-9 In adult
critical care units, mean VAP rates range from zero
to six per 1,000 ventilator days, with the risk of infection
increasing with the duration of mechanical
ventilation.10 As frontline care providers, nurses need
to recognize that maintaining oral hygiene to prevent
VAP is an infection control priority.