A Cross-sectional Study of the Oral Health of Elderly Inpatients in Acute and Subacute Hospitals in Northumberland and North Tyneside

Completed

• Conditions: Oral Health
• Interventions: Other: no intervention - cross-sectional observational only

• Registration Number: NCT03214237
• Lead Sponsor: Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Brief Summary

To provide a point-in-time measurement of the oral health of elderly inpatients across the trust (elderly defined here as over 70 years). This will provide information about the number of teeth, need for restorative and periodontal treatment, and extractions, the health of the oral mucosa, quality of any dentures and hygiene of the teeth and dentures.

Detailed Description

Such information will allow identification of any problems with oral health in this hospital population, thereby allowing development of strategies and protocols for managing these problems. There have been a number of studies examining these variables in elderly residents in care homes and a few in long term hospital settings (over 1 year admission), but only one in the UK previously in acute hospitals. Therefore the published literature is sparse, and requires further data collection. The oral health of the elderly, but particularly the institutionalized, is increasingly recognised for its important relationships with general health, wellbeing and quality of life. This study will provide useful information to address these concerns.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2017-07-03
• Study First Submitted QC: 2017-07-07
• Study First Posted: 2017-07-11
• Study Start: 2018-07-01
• Primary Completion: 2018-07-31
• Study Completion: 2018-07-31
• Status Verified: 2020-08
• Last Update Submitted: 2020-08-08
• Last Update Posted: 2020-08-11

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 35

Inclusion Criteria

• age 70 or over and admitted to geriatric ward within the study area, able to consent

Exclusion Criteria

• unable to consent, aged under 70

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Participants	no intervention - cross-sectional observational only	Older adult inpatients on elderly care wards in acute hospitals within the Northumbria Hospitals NHS Foundation trust area, aged 70 or over and able to consent to involvement in the study

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
level of oral hygiene	1 month	using modified plaque index

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
gender	1 month	male or female
age	1 month	age in years
number of broken and decayed teeth	1 month	a simple count of the number of decayed and broken teeth present
condition of oral mucosa	1 month	presence of absence of specific disease, e.g. candidosis, leukoplakia

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Northumbria Hospitals NHS; 🇬🇧 Cramlington, United Kingdom