Longer surgical procedures require intubation and there is a potential risk of contaminating the lower airways with pathogenic bacteria from the mouth and oropharynx.

Healthy people seldom have pathogenic bacteria originating from the gastro-intestinal canal but those do occur among patients, both in those not so sick and patients with more severe problems.

For ICU patients we have seen a reduction of emerging enteric bacteria in patients given oral care with probiotics and this is a pilot study to explore the possibility of the same kind of positive effects in patients due for longer (more than 4 hours of anesthesia) procedures.

Randomisation

• No prophylaxis
• Preparation with a probiotic suspension before intubation.

Cultures

• oropharynx

  • before treatment
  • after intubation
  • before extubation
  • day 1 postoperatively

• tracheal secretions

  • after intubation
  • before extubation

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adult patients
• Planned interventions
• Anaesthesia > 4 hours and requiring intubation

Exclusion Criteria:

• Ulcers in the mouth, oropharynx, oesophagus and stomach
• Current infections in the airways
• Known immuno deficiences
• Emergency cases

Results are intended to be published in a scientific journal