About The Study: The findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 randomized clinical trials with an effective population size of 2,786 patients suggest that daily tooth brushing may be associated with significantly lower rates of hospital-acquired pneumonia, particularly in patients receiving mechanical ventilation, lower rates of intensive care unit (ICU) mortality, shorter duration of mechanical ventilation, and shorter ICU length of stay. Policies and programs encouraging more widespread and consistent toothbrushing are warranted.
Authors: Michael Klompas, M.D., M.P.H., of Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute in Boston, is the corresponding author.
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(doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.6638)
