Oral Hygiene as Prevention: Discovering the Links Between Oral Health, Respiratory Infection, and Sepsis

Poor oral hygiene is directly linked both to respiratory infections, like non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia (NVHAP), and to sepsis, for which NVHAP is the most common pathway in acute care settings. Because NVHAP is associated with high ICU utilization rates, increased use of antibiotics, high readmission rates, and death, and because 50-80% of NVHAP cases result from oral infections, it is important for healthcare providers to understand the close interrelationship between oral health and serious infectious complications. This is especially vital in acute care settings, where patients admitted may already have depressed immune systems, making them more prone to secondary infections including those caused by bacteria that grow in the oral cavity and actively travel to the lungs. In this live webinar hosted by Sepsis Alliance, attendees will review the relationships between oral health, systemic health, respiratory infection, and sepsis, and will discuss the role of oral care as a key preventative measure for complications like NVHAP and bacterial sepsis. NOTE: We encourage learners to attend our activities live. Many involve a live Q&A session with the presenter(s). However, if you can't make the date of an activity, register anyway to be emailed a link to view the recording.

Dian Baker, PhD, NP, RN (Professor and Clinical Faculty, School of Nursing, California State University, Sacramento and University of California, Davis School of Medicine); Karen K. Giuliano, PhD, RN, FAAN, MBA (Co-Director, Elaine Marieb Center for Nursing and Engineering Innovation and Associate Professor, University of Massachusetts Amherst); Frank A. Scannapieco, DMD, PhD (Chair and Professor of Oral Biology, University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine)