Development of Oral Care Protocol for COVID-19 Positive Elderly Patients During Prone Therapy

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22K21125
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0908:Society medicine, nursing, and related fields
• Research Institution: St. Luke's International University
• Principal Investigator: Mizuho ITABASHI 聖路加国際大学, 大学院看護学研究科, 助教 (40963799)
• Project Period (FY): 2022-08-31 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 口腔細菌叢 / 口腔ケア / 要介護高齢者

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The results of this study include the following: First, it was found that specimens from COVID-19 patients could be used in a laboratory facility, where there were biosafety issues, by using a reagent that inactivates the virus. Second, the researchers conducted an observational study in a general hospital with limited experience in conducting research by outside nursing researchers, by forming a physician-researcher partnership and obtaining the cooperation of the clinical nursing staff. Third, we compared the oral flora of elderly patients requiring oral care between the first visit within three days of admission and the second visit one week later, and found that the diversity of the flora decreased with statistical significance in the second visit.

Free Research Field

看護研究

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の学術的意義として、入院環境にある要介護高齢者は口腔ケアを受けることにより口腔細菌叢の変化を生じるのかという課題にアプローチした点にある。これまで看護師による口腔ケアの有効性の評価は口腔内を観察し定性的な指標で評価するにとどまっていた。定性的な評価は看護師間により異なり、また評価に時間もかかるデメリットがあるため、他の定量的で簡便な評価指標を開発することは多忙な臨床における業務負担軽減にもつながるため、定量的な評価指標の開発テーマは社会的な意義も有する。