Effect of Oral Health Care for Bedridden Elderly Persons on Their Circulation Dynamics

It can be supposed that oral health care might influence the regulation of the cardiovascular system for aged persons, and the change in the system might also be different in accordance with consciousness and/or perioral hypersensitivity. The purpose of the current study is to clarify whether oral health care could influence the cardiovascular system for bedridden aged persons, and, if so, the aspect of the change might be influenced by consciousness and/or perioral hypersensitivity using systolic blood pressure, pulse date, and Rate Pressure Product (RPP) .<BR>Thirty five bedridden aged persons in hospital were selected as subjects. The age of the subjects were ranged from 67 to 101 (86.3±8.7) years. All the subjects were classified as Rank C, in which a person is determined as a disabled person who is regularly bedridden with support for excretion, feeding, and changing clothes. The subjects were classified into three groups as follows ; Group A those who can follow instructions provided by a care-giver, Group B : those without perioral hypersensitivity who cannot follow instructions by a care-giver, and Group C : those with perioral hypersensitivity who cannot follow instructions by a care-giver. Systolic blood pressure, pulse date, and RPP were monitored during oral care at the first visit.<BR>There was no change in the regulation of the cardiovascular system for subjects in Group A. However, significant decreases in both systolic blood pressure and RPP were observed for subjects in Group B, while both measures increased for subjects in Group C.<BR>The results here suggested that oral health care for bedridden aged person, who can follow instructions by a care- giver, had no effect on the regulation of the cardiovascular system. Persons without perioral hypersensitivity who can follow instructions might show a change in the system immediately after the start of oral health care, but the system might settle gradually along with oral health care. However, for persons with both inability to follow instructions and perioral hypersensitivity, desensitization could not be expected, so that undesired changes in the cardiovascular system including an acute increase in blood pressure might take place.