Comparison of the effects of routine mouthwash and mouthwash as well as suctioning with chlorhexidine 0/2% on throat bacterial colonies among patients admitted to trauma intensive care units of Kerman hospitals

Throat of a healthy person is a rich environment of microbes and after 48 hours of hospitalization in intensive patients, pharyngeal flora changes of the Gram positive to Gram negative can lead to pneumonia. Additionally patients who are undergoing mechanical ventilation through contact with the leaked bacteria from around the cuff of tracheal tube are at risk for pneumonia. To compare of the effects of routine mouthwash and mouthwash as well as suctioning with chlorhexidine 0/2% on throat bacterial colonies among patients admited to trauma intensive care units of Kerman hospitals. This study is a quasiexperimental design and began with 90 patients undergoing mechanical ventilation that had inclusion criteria. Patient were divided by random numbers table to two control and intervention groups. Mouthwash in the control group was performed every six hours by applicator dipped with 0.2% chlorhexidine solution for 7 days every 6 hours and in the intervention group in addition to the use of chlorhexidine applicator dipped with 0.2% chlorhexidine, 10 cc of 0.2% chlorhexidine solution was poured into the patient's oral cavity and pharynx and after one minute the mouth and throat were suctioned. Throat culture from the secretion of patients throat in the first day of the intervention (before) and on the seventh day (end) taken and was sent to the laboratory. Bacterial colonies from the throat of patients on the seventh day in the intervention group were lower than the control group. (p<0.0001, control group mean: 0.93 and intervention group mean: 0.04) Chlorhexidine 0.2% mouthwash and suctioning with it is more effective on throat bacterial colonies in the ICU patients.