Funding outcome

Objectives This is a retrospective cohort analysis. Primary: Identify which bacterial species colonize tracheostomized children's airways. Secondary: 1. Determine species associated with ventilator use. 2. Evaluate the influence of feeding. 3. Do certain species predicate Pseudomonas colonization? Methods Inclusion: all patients 0-18 years who had a tracheostomy at the Stollery Children's Hospital between 1/1/2012 to 30/5/2017. Data: age, reason for tracheostomy, ventilation, G tube, fundoplication. Bacterial culture data includes all lower airway samples reported by the Alberta Provincial laboratory. Statistics will be used to determine which relationships are meaningful and which occur by chance alone. Outcomes 1. Description of the bacterial species in the lungs of 113 children with tracheostomy. 2. Understand the relationship between why the tracheostomy was placed (unable to breathe through the nose and mouth, needing a mechanical ventilator to breathe or both) and the species of bacteria that colonize the tracheostomy.. 3. Understand the relationships between feeding orally or by tube, tightening the top of the stomach (an indicator of severe reflux and breathing stomach contents into the lung) and the species of bacteria that colonize the lungs. 4. Understand whether the presence of some bacterial species increase the risk of later colonization with bacteria that could increase the risk of serious infection or long term lung damage (for example in cystic fibrosis patients, Staphylococcus aureus is often present earlier in life and seems to pave the way to colonization by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is associated with more significant lung disease).