British journal of nursing (Mark Allen Publishing)
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As part of the ventilator care bundle, the Department of Health (DH) in the U. K. recommends the use of chlorhexidine (CHX) for oral care to prevent the occurrence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in all mechanically ventilated patients. ⋯ This article reviews the available scientific evidence on the use of CHX in the prevention of VAP, with a focus on critically ill mechanically ventilated patients who have liver dysfunction. Findings will be discussed with reference to the wider research literature in order to make recommendations for future practice.