Association of the quantitative oral health status of patients with COVID-19 with their organ status and immunity: A single-centre observational study.
Aya Yoshino, Yoshihiko Nakamura, Aki Kusu and 5 others
PMID 36990033WHAT IT FOUND
In 13 ICU patients with severe COVID-19 on ECMO, worse oral health and more cariogenic bacteria went with higher organ failure scores and lower immune nutritional scores.
A bedside saliva disc test moved with nurse oral assessments.
Key findings
01In this group of 13 patients, higher saliva disc scores went with higher nurse oral assessment scores.
02Higher organ failure scores went with higher oral assessment scores and higher saliva disc scores.
03Lower immune nutritional scores went with higher saliva disc scores and higher oral assessment scores.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 13 patients from a single ECMO centre were studied, so the associations are very limited. There was no control group, so the study cannot show what would have happened without these assessments. The authors call it a pilot study aimed at broad changes rather than a definitive test. Six of 13 patients used mouthwash because of family preference, and the effect of mouthwash on disc scores was not examined. Host genetic characteristics, viral variants, and drug type were not considered. No standard periodontal evaluations were done because oral health care specialists had limited access to the centre. The PNI was below 42 at all measured points, yet mortality was 15%, a mismatch the authors note.
Declared interests
The authors declare no known competing financial interests or personal relationships.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the saliva disc test or oral care improves outcomes. This was a pilot observational study with 13 patients and no control group, and it reports only weak associations among oral, organ, and immune scores.