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Can plain water replace a common ICU mouthwash?

NCT ID NCT06453122

Prevention Sponsor: Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 17, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Intubated patients in intensive care often get their teeth brushed with chlorhexidine, an antiseptic mouthwash. Some studies suggest chlorhexidine may raise the risk of death, and international guidelines no longer recommend it for routine ICU oral care. This pilot trial at one hospital compares brushing with mineral water against brushing with chlorhexidine in 70 adults on breathing tubes. Researchers measure plaque buildup, the look of the mouth lining, bacteria in the throat, and costs to see if water works as well.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
toothbrushing with mineral water instead of chlorhexidine mouthwash
What this could lead to
If mineral water works as well as chlorhexidine, hospitals could drop a disinfectant that some research links to higher death rates and save money on oral care.
What could go wrong
This is a small pilot study of 70 patients in one hospital, so it may not show a clear difference in plaque or infections. Mineral water might clean less effectively than chlorhexidine, and the trial is not large enough to prove safety.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

70 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Mar 2024

Finished

Dec 2024

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * patients admitted to the adult ICU; * age over 18; * both sexes; * orotracheal intubation monitored from the first day; * absence of foci of infection in the oral cavity (periapical lesions, * periodontal abscesses, extensive cavities, opportunistic infections); * presence of at least five teeth per dental arch Exclusion Criteria: * patients in whom oral hygiene is not possible; * patients extubated before 24 hours from baseline; * patients with foci of infection in the oral cavity present in the baseline moment; * patients who died before 24 hours from baseline; * patients whose guardians do not authorize the research to be carried out; * patients whose information about oral and general health and other study variables are not available in the medical record, are doubtful or not capable of collection. * patients after heart surgery * patients with reintubation

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As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Chlorhexidine Intensive care Oral hygiene

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Hospital israelita Albert Einstein

    São Paulo, São Paulo, 05652-900, Brazil

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