Which measure is a mouth-care-focused intervention to prevent VAP?

• A. Head of bed elevated
• B. Oral care
• C. Hand hygiene
• D. Regular repositioning

Answer: (B)

Reducing the bacterial load in the mouth and throat to lower the chance of organisms being aspirated into the lungs is the essence of preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia through mouth care. Regular oral care—brushing teeth, cleaning the oral cavity, and using an antiseptic solution like chlorhexidine—decreases oral microbial colonization, which reduces the risk that pathogens are aspirated around the endotracheal tube and cause pneumonia.

Other measures matter for overall VAP prevention but are not mouth-focused: elevating the head of the bed helps prevent aspiration of gastric contents, hand hygiene reduces cross-infection, and regular repositioning supports overall lung function and comfort. The mouth-care-focused intervention directly targets the oral cavity to minimize the specific source of many VAP-causing pathogens.