Ventilator-associated<unk>  is a hospital-acquired infection usually contracted in an intensive care unit when a mechanical ventilator is used. The insertion of a tracheal tube can cause an infection in the trachea which then colonises and spreads to the bronchi. If there is further spread and development into the lungs this will give rise to ventilator-associated pneumonia. Antibiotics are recommended to prevent this development but only as a short term measure as antibiotic resistance is already high in some of the pathogens involved. This does not always progress to pneumonia. Fungal<unk>  can be invasive into the lung tissue or pulmonary artery and cause a severe lung infection. The extra secreted mucus from<unk>  plugs the airways allowing the fungal pathogens to lodge and multiply. Local damage to the tracheal wall that can be caused by mechanical ventilation is a risk factor for this. Respiratory failure may develop from this infection. Herpetic<unk>  is caused by herpes simplex virus and causes small ulcers covered in exudate to form on the mucous membranes. The exudate contains necrotic cells from the mucosal epithelium. The characteristic increased sputum produced can give problems in the removal of the tracheal tube (extubation). In the course of cystic fibrosis the lungs are affected. Thickened mucus secretions block the airways making infection possible. The recurrence of<unk>  presents a major problem. In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease tracheobronchial infections are responsible for up to 80% of exacerbations.
Tracheobronchitis
Tracheitis
Croup
Bronchitis
Bronchitis kettle
Mediastinitis
Hydrothorax
Tonsillitis