Effectiveness of oral care for the prevention of non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAPPEN): a multicentre, stepped-wedge, cluster-randomised trial in Australia.
Nicole M White, Philip L Russo, Georgia Matterson et al.
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In 30 seconds
The HAPPEN trial, a multicentre, stepped-wedge, cluster-randomised trial in Australia, evaluated the impact of enhanced oral care on non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia (NV-HAP) incidence among hospitalized patients. Among 8,870 patients analyzed, NV-HAP occurred in 0.9%, with 1.0% in the control group and 0.7% in the intervention group. The intervention was associated with a cumulative hazard ratio of 0.40.
Key findings
- NV-HAP incidence was 1.0% in the control group versus 0.7% in the intervention group.
- The intervention resulted in a cumulative hazard ratio of 0.40 for NV-HAP.
- The proportion of participants completing the oral care protocol increased from 15.9% to 61.9% after the intervention.
- Cumulative hazard ratio for lower or upper respiratory tract infection was 1.64.
Why it matters
This study highlights the importance of oral care in reducing NV-HAP incidence, a common healthcare-associated infection. Improved oral hygiene practices could enhance patient outcomes and inform infection prevention strategies in hospital settings.