Consensus based clinical guideline for oral hygiene in the critically ill.

Objectives: Oropharyngeal colonisation has been identified as a factor contributing to ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). We sought to develop a clinical practice guideline for providing oral hygiene in the critically ill.

Research Methodology: Following a systematic literature review a prospectively derived consensus development conference was convened and sponsored by a clinical governance unit.