Oral care practices after stroke: A survey of two regions.

Background And Aims: Poor oral care can have negative consequences after stroke. Little is known about current oral care practices for patients with stroke in hospitals and whether this varies across different regions. This study explored current practices of oral care after stroke in the UK and Australia. Method(s): Surveys were mailed to hospitals known to provide inpatient care for patients with stroke. Result(s): Response rates were 86% (150/174) in the UK and 74% (120/163) in Australia. Only 69% of hospitals in the UK and 36% in Australia reported having an oral care protocol, with only 54% of UK and 14% of Australia reporting using oral care assessment tools. of those using tools, these were generally hospital-specific tools in both regions, with only seven standardised tools used across the UK compared to five in Australia. Oral care assessments were undertaken on admission in 73% of UK and 57% of Australian hospitals. Oral care was mostly provided twice a day, unless patients were nil by mouth when it was provided three times a day in both regions. Date, time and care provider were more likely to be recorded whereas the type of oral care provided was less likely. Over half of staff in the UK (55%) received oral care training in the last year compared to less than a third in Australia (30%). Conclusion(s): Unacceptable variability exists in oral care practices for stroke. Oral care is a neglected area of stroke clinical practice, particularly more so in Australian when compared to hospitals in the UK.