Study on the effects of oral care on the prevention of fever and pneumonia in tube-fed patients. - Study on the effects of oral care on the prevention of fever and pneumonia in tube-fed patients.

The levels of serum total protein and albumin in patients with pneumonia were lower than the levels in patients without pneumonia. In the multivariate analysis, low levels of albumin and urine bacteria were independently associated with pneumonia. We developed a bedridden patient pneumonia risk (BPPR) score using these two risk factors to assess pneumonia risk. The proportion of pneumonia patients increased with increasing BPPR score when the patients were divided into three groups, low, moderate and high risk, according to the BPPR score (0, 1 or 2, respectively).