Promoting oral health in medically compromised patients to improve patient outcomes

Maintaining good oral health is vital for general health and is particularly important for medically compromised patients. Cochrane Oral Health (COH) at the University of Manchester (UoM) identified, appraised and synthesised large, relevant bodies of evidence to:

•identify interventions that minimise the negative impact of radiotherapy and chemotherapy on oral health and

•reduce morbidity and mortality through the use of appropriate oral care measures to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in critically ill patients.

Our research findings have guided care provision internationally, leading to significant improvements in the oral care and management of disease in medically compromised patients. Through comprehensive synthesis of empirical evidence, we produced robust systematic reviews, previously lacking, to inform a series of national and international guidelines and influence decision-making.