Oropharyngeal colonization, and gastric and tracheal bacterial translocation, in children experiencing mechanical ventilation

Objective: To describe the pattern of oropharyngeal colonization and bacterial translocation, gastric and tracheal, in children experiencing mechanical ventilation. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Thirty children were recruited for the study, and 216 serial cultures were analyzed from oropharyngeal, gastric and tracheal secretions. Microbiological characteristics, demographic, clinical and treatment data were evaluated. Results: Among those who participated in the gastric suctioning, there was a predominance of children with chronic diseases, for which antibiotics, sedatives and gastric protectors were used. There was an increase in the number of children colonized by pathogens during hospitalization, and there was a predominance of several species: Enterobacter spp, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa, A. baumannii and S. aureus. The majority of children (80.0%) experienced oropharyngeal translocation during hospitalization in the PICU. Conclusion: Critically ill children may represent a group of patients at increased risk for colonization and bacterial translocation, predominantly from the oropharyngeal region to the trachea.