Intensive Care Nurses Opinions and Practice for the Oral Care of Mechanically Ventilated Patients

Oral care is a vital factor in critical care nursing. Nevertheless, there has not been published studies on Asian and Iranian nurses. The research aims at assessing the opinion and practice of care givers concerning oral care in patients who are on mechanical aeration. There was a cross-sectional study of one hundred and thirty care nurses from six rigorous care units in Iran university hospital.

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The study was able to address the research question by conducting a cross-sectional survey of 1CU nurses in the chosen university clinics of Iran (Evans, 2001). From the list of care givers working in the hospital, fifty percent of them were chosen using random sampling. A questionnaire was used in the collection of data with the first part comprising questions on demographics such as the highest requirement, age, gender and the history of nurse training on healthcare. The second part entails eight questions on frequency of oral evaluation and oral care through the average working shift and the belief of the nurse on the aim of oral care.

The results of the study were achieved. There were 99 females and 31 males participating in the research and on a scale of 1-10, nurses gave a rating of 5.7 to the oral care which was the 7th precedence in the ten nursing care roles. Approximately twenty one percent of care givers showed deterrence of ventilator-associated pneumonia as an objective of oral care (Adib-Hajbaghery, Ansari, Azizi-Fini, 2013). Participant nurses in the study did give a rank of high priority in ICU patients. Their ranking was 7th in the ten nursing care roles while those receiving a top position were endotracheal tube suctioning and report writing.

The study is valid because it measures the exact concept accurately. The opinions of nurses led to a deduction that nurses did not ruminate oral care in ICU as a high primacy. There was confirmation of the content validity of the questionnaire by ten nurse instructors and two ICU educators. It is reliable as the dependability of used instruments was tested through test-retest on ten nurses at an intermission of two weeks and the questionnaire given to several nurses.

When it comes to rigour, the research has applied the proper research tools such as questionnaire which has helped meet the outlined objective of an investigation. Rigour has been achieved by the data collection tools producing information that is appropriate for the level of analysis necessitated in the research. Also, the collection techniques have a high likelihood of generating the proper detail that has helped in tackling the research question.

Quantitative Article: Oral Decontamination with Chlorhexidine Reduces the Incidence of Ventilator-associated Pneumonia

One of the most recurrently emerging nosocomial infection linked to augmented mortality and morbidity is Ventilator-associated pneumonia. Even though oral decontamination with antibiotics is known to lessen occurrences of VAP, it is not commended due to a probable collection of antibiotic-resilient pathogens (Richards, Edwards, Culver, Gaynes, 1999). The premise is that oral distillation with either chlorhexidine or colistin will help minimise and adjourn the development of Ventilator-associated pneumonia as well as endotracheal and oral colonisation. The article aimed at determining the impact of oral decontamination with chlorhexidine (CHX) or colistin on the occurrence of Ventilator-associated Pneumonia.

The study did address the research question effectively. It relied on random sampling and controlled data collection instruments that fit the experiences into programmed reaction groupings. The strategies involved clinical trials whereby successive patients needling mechanical aeration for forty-eight hours or more were registered in, double-blind, randomised and placebo-controlled using three arms comprising chlorhexidine, colistin, and placebo (PLAC). Application of the trial medicine in the buccal cavity took place after six hours. The results were attained providing sufficient evidence and conclusions that treatment meaningfully diminishes the risk of VAP. Also, there is enough proof to deduce that placebo does not vary in their risk of VAP. Oropharyngeal decontamination with chlorhexidine and clostin lessened and delayed the development of Ventilator-associated Pneumonia. The ultimate deduction is that topical, oral decontamination with either clostin or CHX tends to decrease an occurrence of VAP (Koeman et al. 2006).

The results are valid and reliable since the choice of methodology has allowed for recognition of findings in the appropriate setting with due regard to the impact of oral decontamination with chlorhexidine (CHX) or colistin on the occurrence of Ventilator-associated Pneumonia. Data were reliable because the findings were based on repeatability.

Rigour is evident by the standard of evidence that has been that has given in convincing the readers that the results have the support of the data. After the collection of data, the analytical techniques used have been able to ensure the discovery of a variety of relevant and salient subjects. I think there is validity and rigour because the findings have in actuality represented the phenomenon of the issue that has been claimed.

References

Evans, G. (2001). A rationale for oral care. Nursing Standard (through 2013), 15(43), 33.

Adib-Hajbaghery, M., Ansari, A., & Azizi-Fini, I. (2013). Intensive care nurses' opinions and practice for the oral care of mechanically ventilated patients. Indian journal of critical care medicine: peer-reviewed, official publication of Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine, 17(1), 23

Koeman, M., van der Ven, A. J., Hak, E., Joore, H. C., Kaasjager, K., de Smet, A. G., ... & Hustinx, W. N. (2006). Oral decontamination with chlorhexidine reduces the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine, 173(12), 1348-1355.

Richards, M. J., Edwards, J. R., Culver, D. H., & Gaynes, R. P. (1999). Nosocomial infections in medical intensive care units in the United States. Critical care medicine, 27(5), 887-892