Effect of N-acetyl Cysteine and Probiotic on Oropharyngeal Microbial Flora in Mechanically-ventilated Patients

Introduction: This study assessed the effect of four doses of N-acetylcysteine %20 and probiotics on the variety of the oropharyngeal microbial flora of intubated ICU patients.  Methods: In this study, 60 ICU patients under mechanical ventilation were randomly assigned to three groups and treated with N-acetylcysteine %20 mouth rinse, probiotic, or routine care (chlorhexidine). A culture sample was obtained from the oropharyngeal zone before and 24 hours after mouth rinse.Results: The colonized bacterial count of the sample was not significantly different before intervention among the N-acetylcysteine, probiotic, and routine care groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: The probiotics and N-acetylcysteine increased the variety of bacterial groups in the oropharyngeal zone. These florae can compete for nutritional items and growth conditions with pathogenic bacteria.

Effect of N-acetyl Cysteine and Probiotic on Oropharyngeal Microbial Flora in Mechanically-ventilated Patients Keywords:

N-acetylcysteine , Probiotic , Oropharyngeal Microbial Flora