Number of Bacteria in Saliva in the Perioperative Period and Factors Associated with Increased Numbers

Abstract

Perioperative oral management is performed to prevent postoperative complications, but its indication and management method are unclear. This study aimed to investigate salivary bacterial counts pre-and postoperatively, and factors related to increased bacterial count postoperatively. We included 121 patients who underwent surgery under general anesthesia and perioperative oral management. The bacterial count in saliva was determined preoperatively, and first and seventh days postoperatively using the dielectrophoresis and impedance measurement methods. The relationships between salivary bacterial count and various variables were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis. The salivary bacterial count increased significantly on the first day postoperatively but decreased on the seventh day. Multivariate analysis showed that age (p = 0.004, standardized coefficient β = 0.283) and xerostomia (p = 0.034, standardized coefficient β = 0.192) were significantly correlated with increased salivary bacterial count preoperatively. Salivary bacterial count on the day after surgery was significantly increased in patients with a large number of bacterial counts on the day before surgery after preoperative oral care (p = 0.007, standardized coefficient β = 0.241) and postoperative fasting (p = 0.001, standardized coefficient β = −0.329). Establishing good oral hygiene before surgery and decreasing salivary bacterial count are necessary in patients with a high risk of postoperative surgical site infection or pneumonia, especially in older adults or postoperative fasting.

Comparison between screw retained arch bars and conventional Erich’s arch bar in maxillofacial fractures

“…This is in line with previous studies comparing conducted by Pathak et al 14 Poor oral hygiene can have detrimental effects on intraoral wound healing and is associated with a risk of surgical site infection. 18,19 However, the results of this study differ from those of Hamid et al who reported no significant difference in oral hygiene (measured by GI scores) between screw-retained and Erich's arch bar. 20 Whichever modality of achieving MMF is chosen, the treatment of facial fractures should not be compromised.…”

Relationship of oral bacterial number with medical hospitalization costs in analysis of Diagnosis Procedure Combination database from single institution in Japan

“…The impact of development of DM and infectious complications in DM patients on hospitalization costs has also been frequently reported [23][24][25] . In other studies, oral bacterial infection and poor oral health were shown to be risk factors related to surgical site infection after various cancer and cardiovascular surgical procedures 9,[26][27][28][29] , while a relationship between oral microbial colonization and ventilator-associated pneumonia in patients in intensive care units has also been reported 30,31 . In other reports, oral bacteria were shown to be associated with onset of aspiration pneumonia after cancer surgery [32][33][34] .…”

Brushing Methods for Patients Unable to Use a Mouthwash: A Preliminary Study of the Effects of Moisturizing Gel and Povidone-Iodine in Healthy Volunteers

“…It is important to reduce the number of bacteria in saliva, prevent aspiration, and improve the general condition of the patient to prevent aspiration pneumonia. Therefore, the importance of oral care for older adults and postoperative patients is widely reported [1][2][3][4][13][14][15][16][17]. Additionally, VAP in endotracheally intubated patients is directly related to survival outcomes and is a serious post-operative complication [6].…”

“…The human oral cavity contains many microorganisms (such as bacteria and fungi) that are controlled by oral cleansing methods such as oral intake, saliva secretion, and swallowing. However, bacterial counts are markedly increased in older adults with decreased oral functions, such as in cases of tongue pressure [ 1 ], fasting, or tube feeding [ 2 ], and in intubated patients [ 3 , 4 ]. The most effective method to reduce the oral bacterial count is rinsing the mouth, which is not possible in patients with decreased swallowing function or under intubation [ 5 ].…”