Introduction:

Early colonization of periodontopathogenic bacteria represents a risk factor for the development of dysbiosis in the periodontium. This dysbiosis, when manifested in patients admitted to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), can aggravate their underlying condition.

Objective:

To determine the presence of periodontopathogenic bacteria in children hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit of a children's hospital during the January-December 2023 time period.

Materials and Methods:

This was a descriptive and cross-sectional study. Subgingival biofilm samples were collected from the first permanent lower molar in 26 children hospitalized in the ICU and 30 healthy children who attended the Pediatric Dentistry Clinic of the University of Cartagena. The samples were processed by conventional PCR using specific primers for Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg), Tannerella forsythia (Tf), Treponema denticola (Td) and Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn). For statistical analysis, Fisher's exact test was used with a significance level of p < 0.05.

Results:

Of the 26 samples from hospitalized children, 19 (73%) presented periodontopathogenic bacteria while 7 (27%) were negative. In 2 patients, three bacterial species were detected simultaneously (Tf, Pg, Fn) and in 11 patients, two species were identified. In the group of non-hospitalized children (n=30), 20 (66.6%) showed bacterial presence and 10 (33.3%) were negative. Sixteen children presented three bacterial species (Td, Pg, Fn), highlighting the absence of Tf in this group. No statistically significant differences were found according to sex or age (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The results show a significant early colonization of periodontopathogenic bacteria in both groups studied, suggesting the need to implement periodontal surveillance and prevention protocols, especially in hospitalized pediatric patients.

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