[Bacterial flora of the respiratory tract in artificially ventilated patients].

Patients treated in ICUs are at particular risk for nosocomial infections. Within this group a ventilator-associated pneumonia still constitutes a major problem. Highly virulent hospital strains, existing in ICUs, can colonize patients' upper respiratory tract. Therefore this study aimed at analysing the organisms found in patients who required mechanical ventilation in ICUs. The same types of bacteria with the same (high) rate colonized upper airways, trachea and stomach of patients treated at the intensive Care Unit. It is suggested that the presence of Gram negative bacilli may serve as a marker of possible pneumonia in artificially ventilated patients. It is also important to check whether the organisms isolated from the larynx or trachea are only colonizing agents or are representative for the etiologic factors of pneumonia. Antibiotic therapy based on the sensitivity tests could be inadequate.