A Trial to Reduce Pneumonia in Nursing Home Residents

A Randomized Controlled Trial to Reduce Pneumonia in Nursing Home Residents

The purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness of an enhanced oral hygiene protocol in preventing pneumonia among nursing home residents.

Inclusion Criteria:

• long term care resident of nursing home
• residents age >65
• residents of nursing home for at least one month
• residents having at least one of two modifiable risk factors for pneumonia (i.e., impaired oral hygiene, swallowing difficulty)

Exclusion Criteria:

• residents housed in nursing home for short term rehabilitation
• residents who receive nourishment by tube feeding
• residents who have a life expectancy < 3 months
• residents who have been diagnosed with pneumonia within the previous 6 weeks
• residents who are currently using oral chlorhexidine
• residents who have previously been enrolled in the study
• residents, or their designated proxies, who are unwilling to give informed consent
• residents who have tracheostomy
• residents who are non-english speaking
• residents who the administrator leadership of the home felt were not appropriate for the study