Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia According to Chlorhexidine Oral Care Exposure in Patients With New…

Cohort studyAmerican journal of critical care : an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses· Jul 2026

Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia According to Chlorhexidine Oral Care Exposure in Patients With New Tracheostomy.

Hailey Thompson, Andrea Nei, Kirstin Kooda … Nicholas Vollmer

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Surgical Critical CareCohort studyQ2IF 1.6

Chlorhexidine oral care not linked to lower ventilator-associated pneumonia after new tracheostomy

Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia According to Chlorhexidine Oral Care Exposure in Patients With New Tracheostomy.

Hailey Thompson … Nicholas Vollmer

American journal of critical care · Jul 2026 · Q2 in General Medicine

Background

Chlorhexidine is commonly used in prevention bundles for ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Purpose

To assess the risk for ventilator-associated pneumonia according to chlorhexidine exposure in patients requiring a new tracheostomy for mechanical ventilation.

Methods

Treated for pneumonia at the time of tracheostomy or who met additional exclusion criteria were excluded.

n = 235 patients

Results

similar pneumonia rates whether or not chlorhexidine was used

32.5%

Chlorhexidine

35.7%

No chlorhexidine

More results

Of 235 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 203 received chlorhexidine and 32 did not.

The cohort was predominantly White, male, and admitted to a surgical intensive care unit.

More results

Time to development of ventilator-associated pneumonia also did not differ significantly between patients exposed or not (9 vs 12 days, respectively, P = .34).

“

Conclusion · 1 of 2

Chlorhexidine exposure was not associated with a difference in the incidence of or time to ventilator-associated pneumonia after new tracheostomy.

Conclusion · 2 of 2

Further study is needed on the role of chlorhexidine in preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia after a new tracheostomy.

Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia According to Chlorhexidine Oral Care Exposure in Patients With New Tracheostomy.

Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia According to Chlorhexidine Oral Care Exposure in Patients With New Tracheostomy.

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