Oral health care program in Dysphagia in stroke patients: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Introduction: Stroke survivors have varying disabilities due to functional decline and lesions. Approximately 37 -78 percent of Stroke survivors reported dysphagia    immediately toward the progression of the disease. As a result, patients has experienced impaired swallowing and struggle with an absence of gag reflex which impaired airway defense mechanism and induced aspiration          pneumonia. Meanwhile, literature review and evidence-based practice on effectiveness of oral health care of stroke have been reported in reducing the incidence of respiratory infection and preventing aspiration pneumonia.

Objectives: This systematic review was to synthesize the oral health care model in stroke patients with dysphagia. We systematically searched the primary studies via MEDLINE Science direct, Clinical key, and Google scholar  database published during 2017-2020. A total of 14 primary studies had been included but 12 studies met inclusion criteria and we excluded 2 studies because only abstracts were reported. Thus, a total of 12 primary studies were obtained. There was a credible in methodological rigidity to assure that the findings could be used in the synthesized process for developing the oral health nursing practice in stroke survivors.

Results: The oral hygiene model had four main components: caregiver education on oral health care; product, oral care product, and equipment selection; patient positioning and oral cleaning procedures. There were assessed and guideline   proposed evaluation of oral health care outcomes in stroke patients.

Conclusion: This systematic review had a small number of studies. Moreover, each study had different oral care practices and outcome measures. To make a  consensus on clinically meaningful in practice, comparative experimental  studies should be conducted among cerebrovascular disease patients that nurses can develop an effective oral care model in the future.