Oral care or mouth care is one of the most basic nursing activities. Keeping the mouth and teeth clean will protect a patient’s oral health and allow quicker recovery
by preventing infections. The patient is unconscious, oral care will be needed more frequently. Unconscious patients usually breathe through the mouth, causing secretions to dry. It is a vital aspect of patient care that needs to be carried out consistently by a nurse. The nurse plays an important role in providing effective oral care and promoting oral hygiene of an unconscious patient. Nurses should be aware of risk factors associated with poor oral health and be able to assess and
help patients maintain oral hygiene. In another article, I have shared an article about mouth care procedures for conscious patients. You may follow it. A tray containing supplies and
equipment needed for oral care or mouth care are listed in the following: Oral care
procedures are used for patients who are unconscious or who are not able to eat or drink.
Oral Care Instructions for Unconscious Patients:Some important general instructions for ICU patients must be maintained during oral care or mouth care delivery:
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Maria Katun Mona is a Nursing and Midwifery Expert. Currently she is working as a Registered Nurse at Evercare Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh. She has great passion in writing different articles on Nursing and Midwifery. Mail her at How can nursing assistant help prevent aspiration during oral care of residents who are unconscious?Turn the resident's head to one side to prevent aspiration during the procedure. Put a waterproof pad and towel on the pillow underneath the resident's chin. His head should be turned to one side to allow excess fluid to drain out.
What is the best way to prevent aspiration when performing mouth care on residents who are unconscious?An unconscious patient is placed in the side-lying position when mouth care is provided because this position prevents pooling of secretions at the back of the oral cavity, thereby reducing the risk of aspiration.
Why does mouth care need to be done frequently for residents who are unconscious?Patients' mouths are an important part of their overall care. In order to ensure that their best care is provided, unconscious patients must be given oral hygiene on a regular basis. Breathing through their mouths is usually enough for unconscious patients to have dried secretions.
What is one of the most important responsibilities nursing assistants have when providing personal hygiene and grooming?Assisting patients with bathing is a fundamental aspect of maintaining the patient's hygiene. Bathing not only helps the patient to feel clean and gain a sense of normalcy, but bathing also removes dirt, perspiration, bacteria, and dead skin as well as promotes blood circulation.
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