Acquisition and maintenance of oral hygiene is very crucial towards enhancing the wellbeing of ventilated patients. For intubated patients, oral care is very important. In critical care situations, family members, doctors and nurses need to uphold the importance of oral care as part of the strategies that is used in controlling and mitigating some infections. Oral health includes managing all infections associated with the mouth. This is through managing all oral wounds and sores associated to teeth, gums and oral cavities. Oral hygiene can lead to management of all bleeding areas and lips (Malkin, 2009). This includes constant specialist assessment to detect any diagnostic defects.
Poor oral hygiene is likely to increase respiratory pathogens. This is very dangerous for intubated patients. This is because these pathogens pose a very big threat to the oropharynx of the critically ill patients. This bacteria are very destructive to patients with Ventilator-associated pneumonia. Breathing through the mouth is very commonly observed in intubated patients. The pathogens that may be generated from poor oral hygiene can lead to the development of xerostomia and thus putting the patients in chronic danger. This can increase the level of unconsciousness in these patients. This can also lead to numerous respiratory tract infections (Malkin, 2009).
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Therefore, oral hygiene is very crucial before intubation. The development of bacteria in the oral cavities is motivated by the most nature of the oral cavities. Thus maximum levels of hygiene crucial to prevent the occurrence of these pathogens. The oral opening plays a very big role during intubation. This is because it facilitates the passage of the intubation facilities (Malkin, 2009). Without taking proper hygiene into consideration, dangerous bacteria can develop in the oral cavities and then passed into the body during the intubation process. There are various procedures that can be adopted as part of oral hygiene. This include regular medical checkups and use of antiseptics and mouthwashes.
Re-hospitalization of patients is the admission of patients after they have been discharged. This is very costly. Healthcare experts and consumers have the role of enhancing strategies that can assist in reducing the number of readmissions through avoiding the preventable ones. One of the best ways through which this can be avoided is through facilitating a robust healthcare program. This can assist in providing post-discharge care (IHI, 2009). This includes giving the patients with chronic medical conditions specialized attention if after their discharge. This includes medical assessments and evaluations to ascertain the level of progress or deviation in their condition.
Patients should be given a smooth transition from the hospital environment to their homes after discharge. This assist the patients to adapt progressively from one environment to another. This is very crucial as it assist the patients to have continuity and gradual recovery from the change of environment. In order to facilitate smooth transition, health care professionals, families and the society have a big role to play. In the smooth transition, various aspects should be taken into consideration. These can include factors related to clinical care from nurses and social factors (IHI, 2009).
Application of evidence based practices is very important towards promoting the conditions of patients during and after admission in health care facilities. This includes the use of effective patient care. All patients should be critically evaluated for fitness before they are discharged. Health literacy is also one of the best practices that can be used so as to reduce readmissions (IHI, 2009). This is because this assist the health care consumers to have basic skills on how to manage various health conditions. This can assist individuals to administer post-discharge care and thus this can lead to avoiding another hospitalization period.
