COMPARISON OF THE EFFECT OF ECHINACEA, LISTERINE, AND CHLORHEXIDINE MOUTHWASHES ON MICROBIAL FLORA AND SEVERITY OF ORAL HYGIENE DISORDERS IN MECHANICALLY VENTILATED PATIENTS: A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL

One of the most important duties of a nurse is oral care of anesthetized patients that can prevent many complications. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the effect of mouthwashes (echinacea, listerine and chlorhexidine) on the microbial flora and the severity of oral health disorders in intensive care units.

This study was a clinical trial in which 180 patients in the intensive care unit of Imam Hossein and Shohada Tajrish hospitals in Tehran in 2020 were studied. Individuals with a level of consciousness less than 8, with an endotracheal tube, within the age range of 15-65 years, were assigned into three groups of 60 people by randomized hexagonal blocking method. To collect the data, in addition to the saliva sample test, the "tooth value" (BOAS) was used and each of the mouthwashes of Echinacea, Listerine, and Chlorhexidine were used twice a day for the patients in the groups and after a weekthe data were collected. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software.

The results showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the three groups in terms of the frequency of positive and negative bacterial cultures before and after the intervention. In addition, the use of mouthwashes changed the severity of oral hygiene disorders from moderate to mild (p <0.05).

Since the use of all three types of mouthwashes reduces the severity of oral hygiene disorders and considering the benefits of herbal compounds, Echinacea can be suggested as a suitable alternative to other mouthwashes, especially chlorhexidine.