Hu 2009.

Study characteristics
Methods	Study design: RCT Location: Beijing, China Number of centres: 1 Study period: Not stated Funding source: No external funding
Participants	Setting: ICU in second affiliated hospital of PLA General Hospital Inclusion criteria: Patients in ICU receiving mechanical ventilation Exclusion criteria: Unclear Number randomised: 47 Number evaluated: Unclear Baseline characteristics: Not reported for each randomised group in total Those with 48/72 hour data: ‐ Experimental group: n = 25, M/F 16/9, age range 19 ‐ 68 ‐ Control group: n = 22, M/F 13/9, age range 22 ‐ 60
Interventions	Comparison: Saline swab + rinse versus saline swab Experimental group: Lips, teeth, tongue and palate were swabbed with a saline saturated cotton ball and the oral cavity was rinsed with saline twice daily. Control group: Lips, teeth, tongue and palate were swabbed with saline saturated cotton ball twice daily.
Outcomes	VAP, mortality, days on ventilator, days in hospital, halitosis, ulceration
Notes	Information translated from Chinese paper by Shi Zongdao and colleagues. Unable to confirm outcome data with trial authors
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Low risk	Email from author "the sequence was generated by using a random number table".
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Low risk	Email from author "allocation was concealed using opaque envelopes numbered with inclusion sequence".
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	High risk	Participants and caregivers were not blinded to interventions received.
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	Low risk	Email from author "the outcome assessors were a group of nurses not involved with the interventions". Probably blinded to allocated treatment group.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	High risk	The number of participants included in the outcome assessments at each time point was unclear. VAP reported as percentages only
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	High risk	All planned outcomes reported but as percentages only
Other bias	Low risk	No other sources of bias identified