Microbial colonization of the lower airways after insertion of a cuffed endotracheal tube in pediatric patients

Abstract

Background. Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) still remains a common device-associated hospital acquired infection in pediatric and adult intensive care units. The aim of our study was to determine ways of microbial transmission to the lower airways in intubated patients admitted to a single tertiary-care pediatric intensive care unit.