Sikring af præoperativ tandbørstning hos den ortopædkirurgiske patient

Abstract

Introduction Hospital-acquired infections are a significant challenge that, in many cases, can be prevented through targeted initiatives. Studies suggest that preoperative toothbrushing reduces the risk of postoperative infections. Research question How does the proportion of preoperative patients performing toothbrushing change in an orthopedic surgical ward after implementing a recommendation for preoperative toothbrushing in staff guide-lines and supplementary patient instructions? Patients and Methods This interventional study examined the effect of an initiative aimed at increasing preoperative tooth-brushing among orthopedic surgical patients. The intervention included emphasizing preoperative toothbrushing in staff guidelines and patient instructions, the staff should assist patients when neces-sary and distribute toothbrushes to patients who had not brought their own. The control ward re-ceived no intervention. Data on toothbrushing were collected from patients using structured ques-tionnaires in both the intervention and the control wards before and after the intervention. Baseline measurements were compared with post-intervention measurements and analyzed statistically. Results The study included 77 patients: 42 during the baseline period and 35 during the post-intervention period. Post-intervention results showed a tendency for an increased proportion of patients who: (1) performed preoperative toothbrushing and (2) received a toothbrush in the intervention ward when lacking one. However, the differences between the pre- and post-intervention measurements were not statistically significant. Conclusion and implications. The implementation of staff guidelines and patient instructions regarding preoperative toothbrushing among orthopedic surgical patients did not result in a significant change in the proportion of preoper-ative toothbrushing but indicated an improving trend in: (1) adherence to preoperative oral hygiene practices and (2) the distribution of toothbrushes when needed. The results highlight the importance of larger studies when evaluating targeted interventions to im-prove the likelihood of achieving statistically reliable results.