Objective: To investigate associated risk factors for oral candidiasis in elderly patients hospitalized in a community-based acute-care hospital with no dental units.
Methods: Two hundred and twenty-eight elderly patients (male: 105, female: 123), who were hospitalized with several systemic diseases in a community-based acute-care hospital from May 2014 to October 2016, were retrospectively analysed by multiple logistic regression.
Results: Multiple logistic regression analysis shows that bacterial pneumonia has a statistically strong relationship with oral candidiasis (p = 0.000, OR: 5.173, 95% CI: 2.368-11.298). The order followed is poor oral hygiene (p = 0.001, OR: 6.095, 95% CI: 2.003-18.545) and severe dry mouth (p = 0.043, OR: 2.507, 95% CI: 1.031-6.098). Other correlated factors including diabetes mellitus, denture wearer, dysphagia, malnutrition, requiring care and use of inhalation steroids, were not statistically significant in this study.
Conclusions: Bacterial pneumonia correlates with oral candidiasis.
Keywords: bacterial pneumonia; dry mouth; oral candidiasis; oral health care.
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