Respiratory Tract Colonization and Infection in Patients with Chronic Tracheostomy

To describe the respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in patients living at home with chronic tracheostomies (CTs), the authors followed the bacterial colonization patterns of the upper and lower respiratory tract in 39 outpatients with CTs during a 12-month period. This study was conducted in a respiratory clinic at Danderyd Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden, a national referral clinic for patients with severe chronic hypoventilation. The study included all adults ≥20 years of age with tracheostomy, who were living outside of institutions for more than 6 months, and treated regularly at the clinic. Exclusion criteria were hospitalization within the previous 2 months, any antibiotic treatment within the previous 2 weeks, active malignant disease, and expected poor cooperation. Mean duration of tracheostomy