Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: SARAH EMMILY MELO DA SILVA

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : SARAH EMMILY MELO DA SILVA
DATE: 11/12/2025
TIME: 15:00
LOCAL: Sala de aula da Patologia Oral
TITLE:

Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy in the Management of Oral Candidiasis Among Intensive Care Unit Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

KEY WORDS:

oral candidiasis; photodynamic therapy; intensive care unit.

PAGES: 55
BIG AREA: Ciências da Saúde
AREA: Odontologia
SUBÁREA: Clínica Odontológica
SUMMARY:

Patients admitted to Intensive Care Units (ICUs) often present with critical clinical conditions and immunosuppression, making them highly susceptible to opportunistic infections such as oral candidiasis (OC). This infection can cause local discomfort and contribute to the deterioration of the patient’s systemic condition. Although established pharmacological options exist for the treatment of OC, the continuous and often empirical use of these medications may lead to microbial resistance and undesirable drug interactions, especially in polymedicated patients in the hospital setting. Consequently, there is growing interest in non-pharmacological therapeutic strategies, such as Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy (aPDT), which uses low-power laser associated with photosensitizers to generate Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) capable of selectively destroying microorganisms. To this end, a randomized controlled clinical trial will be conducted with patients admitted to the ICU of Hospital Giselda Trigueiro (Natal, RN, Brazil). Participants will be randomly allocated into two groups: the control group, which will receive standardized oral hygiene, topical nystatin (100,000 IU every 8 hours for 7 days), and systemic fluconazole (150 mg/day intravenously for 5 days); and the experimental group, which will follow the same oral hygiene protocol and systemic fluconazole regimen, in addition to two adjuvant aPDT sessions using 0.1% methylene blue for 10 minutes as the photosensitizer, followed by irradiation with a low-power red laser (4 joules per point on the affected area) at baseline and after 72 hours. Cytological analysis and subsequent PAS staining (Periodic Acid–Schiff) will also be performed for Candida identification at three time points (baseline, 72 hours, and 7 days) to confirm the clinical diagnosis and assess treatment effectiveness. It is expected that the findings of this study will identify effective therapeutic alternatives for the management of oral candidiasis in critically ill patients, contributing to the reduction of indiscriminate antifungal use. In doing so, the study aims to minimize potential drug interactions, enhance therapeutic safety, and promote better clinical outcomes in this highly vulnerable population.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Interna - 3218128 - AMANDA KATARINNY GOES GONZAGA
Interna - 2492713 - ERICKA JANINE DANTAS DA SILVEIRA
Externa ao Programa - 3469623 - MAURILIA RAQUEL DE SOUTO MEDEIROS - UFRN