Effect of probiotic colonization on oral hygiene and ventilator-associated pneumonia in ICU patients: a triple-blind randomized controlled trial
Abstract
Mechanically ventilated patients are highly susceptible to poor oral hygiene and ventilator-associated pneumonia, mainly due to pathogenic bacterial colonization in the oral cavity. While antiseptic mouthwashes are commonly used, they may disrupt natural oral microbiota. Probiotics offer a potential alternative by promoting beneficial microbial colonization, enhancing oral hygiene, and reducing the risk of infection. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of probiotic colonization on oral hygiene and the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia in mechanically ventilated patients. This triple-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted in the intensive care units (ICUs) of Shohada-ye Ashayer Hospital, Khorramabad, Iran. Eighty mechanically ventilated patients admitted to the ICU were randomly assigned to either an intervention or a control group using a simple randomization method. The intervention group received two daily doses of 250 mg of Streptococcus salivarius probiotic solution, administered orally for five consecutive days, while the control group received a placebo. Data collection tools included a demographic and clinical characteristics questionnaire, the Beck Oral Assessment Scale, and the Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score. Assessments were performed at baseline and on day six after the intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26, employing generalized linear models for comparative analysis of outcomes. Baseline demographic and clinical…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Severe clinical outcomes of COVID-19 associated with proton pump inhibitors: a nationwide cohort study with propensity score matching
- Levofloxacin-Induced Tendon Rupture: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
- Association between cord blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations and respiratory tract infections in the first 6 months of age in a Korean population: a birth cohort study (COCOA)
- Neuroprotective Effects of Epicatechin against Oxidative Stress-Induced Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Quality evaluation and in vitro interaction studies between levofloxacin 250mg and diclofenac sodium 50mg tablets
- Molecular Epidemiology of mcr-1 -Positive Polymyxin B-Resistant Escherichia coli Producing Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase (ESBL) in a Tertiary Hospital in Shandong, China
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.