A randomized clinical trial of oral health promotion interventions among patients following stroke

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of of oral health promotion interventions on both clinical oral health, and oral opportunistic pathogens in hospitalized patients following acute stroke. Secondary objectives were to investigate the development of infectious complications, as well as health-related quality of life during the hospitalization period, and to monitor clinical oral health, oral opportunistic pathogens, and health-related quality of life following hospital discharge.

METHODS: A total of 102 patients were recruited into a clinical trial conducted among stroke patients in a rehabilitation ward. Patients were randomly assigned either: 1) oral hygiene instruction 2) oral hygiene instruction and chlorhexidine mouthrinse or 3) oral hygiene instruction, chlorhexidine mouthrinse, and assisted brushing. Dental plaque, gingival bleeding, oral opportunistic pathogens, health-related quality of life, oral health-related quality of life, and functional status were assessed at baseline and review. The development of infectious complications was also monitored during the clinical trial. Patients completing the clinical trial were assessed at six months following hospital discharge.

RESULTS: Eighty-one patients were available for review at the end of the clinical trial. Reductions in dental plaque (PI) scores were significantly greater in the two groups receiving chlorhexidine compared to the group receiving oral hygiene instruction alone (p<0.001). Reductions in gingival bleeding (GBI) scores were three to four-fold greater in groups receiving chlorhexidine. Almost three quarters (72.8%) of patients harbored oral aerobic and facultatively anaerobic Gram-negative bacilli (AGNB) at baseline. Over half of the patients had detectable Staphylococcus aureus (56.8%) and yeasts (59.3%). Percentage frequencies and viable counts of pathogens remained relatively stable during the course of the clinical trial, and no significant differences were observed between groups (p>0.05). No cases of pneumonia were observed during the course of the clinical trial. Health-related quality of life (p<0.001), oral-health related quality of life (p=0.014), general functional disability (p<0.001), and toothbrushing ability (p=0.001) improved significantly during hospitalization. A total of 52 patients were reviewed six months following hospital discharge. PI scores were significantly higher than those observed at the end of the clinical trial (p<0.001), but were still significantly lower than those documented at baseline (p<0.001). Changes in GBI scores did not reach statistical significance (p>0.05). Percentage frequencies of AGNB (p=0.001), and viable counts of both AGNB (p<0.001) and yeasts (p=0.028) were significantly reduced at six months. No significant gains in life quality or oral functional disability were observed following hospital discharge (p>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: The clinical oral health condition of stroke patients may be safeguarded following acute stroke with the use of chlorhexidine mouthrinse in conjunction with a standard mechanical plaque removal regimen. These interventions are acceptable to the majority of patients, and their administration poses a minimal burden to rehabilitation ward staff. There was, however, no significant difference in the effectiveness of the three different oral health promotion interventions in combating oral opportunistic pathogens. Gains in quality of life and oral functional disability were largely limited to the in-hospital rehabilitation period.