title: The role of oral microbial colonization in ventilator-associated pneumonia.
abstract: The present article reviews the association between microbial colonization of the oral cavity and the lungs in critically ill patients that develop ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting. The risk factors and microorganisms associated with VAP are presented. The role of oral colonization of VAP-associated pathogens (VAP-AP) in the development of VAP is examined. We explore the potential factors involved in oral colonization of VAP-AP, which are atypical bacteria for the oral cavity. Strategies for the prevention or moderation of oral colonization of VAP-AP have had limited success. We need a deeper understanding of the pathophysiology of VAP in order to reduce the morbidity, mortality, and cost from this common complication in ICU medicine and surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, NC, USA. mike.bennan@carolinas.org
authors.forename: Michael T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.forename: Farah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bahrani-Mougeot
authors.forename: Philip C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: Thomas P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: Sam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hopkins
authors.forename: Richard C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Boucher
authors.forename: Peter B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Lockhart
mesh_terms: D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D003422:Critical Care; D016638:Critical Illness; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology*; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012307:Risk Factors