Oral care for an Unconscious patient

The video introduces the topic of performing oral care for an unconscious patient. It then lists all the necessary equipment, including a long artery forceps, mouth gag, tongue depressor, gauze swabs, mouthwash, Vaseline for lip care, and a towel to protect the patient's clothing.

Before starting the procedure, the nurse emphasizes the importance of correctly identifying the unconscious patient by cross-checking their folder and, if unsure, asking a colleague to re-verify. This step is crucial to prevent performing the procedure on the wrong patient. After identification, the nurse performs hand hygiene and prepares the mouthwash and gauze, choosing an adult-sized mouth gag for this demonstration.

The nurse places gauze inside a receiver with mouthwash and protects the patient's clothing with a towel. The patient's head is tilted to one side. The mouth gag is demonstrated: it should be closed before insertion, then placed in the patient's mouth, and finally opened to expose the oral cavity clearly.

Using a long artery forceps, a gauze swab is wrapped around it, ensuring all metallic parts are covered. The gauze is dipped in diluted mouthwash, excess fluid is squeezed out, and then used to clean the patient's teeth and palate, moving from back to front and up to down. Used swabs are discarded immediately.

The same process is repeated for cleaning the patient's tongue. A tongue depressor is used to support and gently pull the tongue forward for thorough cleaning. This process of cleaning and changing gauze is continued until the desired result is achieved. Finally, the mouth gag is closed before being carefully removed from the patient's mouth and discarded.

After oral care, a soft cloth dipped in warm water is used to clean the patient's face. Vaseline is then applied to the patient's lips to prevent cracking. All used equipment is discarded, the patient is made comfortable by repositioning their head, and the nurse removes gloves and performs final hand hygiene. The video concludes with the rearrangement of equipment for the next candidate, emphasizing proper disposal of used items.