[Dysphagia] Nursing staff perspectives on oral care

[jfurstoss at acmedctr.org (Furstoss, Jeanne ACMC)]

"The reported use of toothbrushes as the first choice in care is not
consistent with the literature that suggests the foam swab is the first
choice (Kite and Pearson, 1995)."  
*** This wording was initially confusing to me.  I am assuming first choice
means that which is "chosen" by the nurses, the swab; not that which is
"recommended" as  first choice as clarified in the later statement that
follows:
"Although use of foam swabs is an accepted practice, research has
demonstrated that foam swabs are ineffective at removing plaque and debris
from the oral cavity and tooth surfaces and therefore may not protect the
oral mucosa from degradation (Ransier, Epstein, Lunn, & Spinelli, 1995)."
*** Also, I do not see personnel use a flashlight to aid in assessing and
cleaning the oral cavity.  So much is missed without a flashlight.
Important article.  Thank you
Jeanne Furstoss



Foam swabs have been demonstrated to be inadequate in removing plaque and
debris (Lefkoff, Beck, & Horton, 1995; Ransier et al., 1995).