In-Hospital Professional Oral Health Management is Associated With Improved Outcomes in Older Adults With Acute Pneumonia.

OBJECTIVES

Pneumonia remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality among older adults. Although oral health care can prevent pneumonia, limited data exist on hospital-based interventions after onset. This study investigates the association between professional oral health management (POHM) by hospital dentistry and discharge outcomes in older patients hospitalized with acute pneumonia.

DESIGN

Observational cohort study using prospectively enrolled participants with retrospective analysis of clinical data. The intervention evaluated was POHM, which included mechanical oral cleaning and condition-specific dental treatments such as periodontal therapy, caries restoration, denture adjustment, and tooth extraction.

SETTING AND

PARTICIPANTS

The study included 1415 patients aged 65 years and older who were hospitalized with acute pneumonia at a regional core hospital in Japan between November 2017 and December 2024. Patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia, COVID-19-related pneumonia, or atypical pneumonia were excluded.

METHODS

Data extracted from medical records included age, sex, pneumonia acquisition and severity (A-DROP score), serum albumin levels, duration of hospital stay, comorbidities, and receipt of POHM. Clinical outcomes were categorized as favorable (discharge to home or a care facility) or unfavorable (transfer to another hospital for continued care or in-hospital death). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the association between POHM and clinical outcomes, adjusting for potential confounders.

RESULTS

Among the total cohort, 983 (69.5%) patients experienced favorable outcomes, and 293 (20.7%) received POHM. After adjusting for confounding variables, receipt of POHM was independently associated with favorable discharge outcomes (adjusted odds ratio, 1.96; 95% confidence interval, 1.39-2.76; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: POHM provided by hospital dentistry during the acute phase of pneumonia was significantly associated with improved clinical outcomes in older patients. These findings underscore the potential value of integrating hospital-based dental care into the multidisciplinary inpatient management of pneumonia in aging populations.