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High microbiome variability in pediatric tracheostomy cannulas in patients with similar clinical characteristics
Leonardo Palma Kuhl1, Paulo José Cauduro Marostica2, Alexandre José Macedo3
1Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Serviço de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facial, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde da Criança e do Adolescente, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Insights
The bacterial microbiome in pediatric tracheostomy cannulas is highly diverse. This variability makes it difficult to establish a normal microbial profile for children with Robin Sequence.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Pediatric Medicine
- Genomics
Background:
- Robin Sequence (RS) is a congenital condition often requiring tracheostomy in pediatric patients.
- Tracheostomy cannulas can harbor a complex bacterial microbiome.
- Understanding this microbiome is crucial for managing airway health in these vulnerable children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the bacterial microbiome within tracheostomy cannulas of children with glossoptosis secondary to Robin Sequence.
- To explore potential clinical implications of the identified microbial communities.
Main Methods:
- 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing was performed on DNA extracted from removed tracheostomy cannulas.
- Samples were collected from pediatric patients during routine cannula changes.
- Standardized DNA extraction and sequencing protocols were followed.
Main Results:
- The most abundant bacterial genera identified included Aggregatibacter, Pseudomonas, Haemophilus, and Staphylococcus.
- Significant variability was observed in the individual microbiome composition of each patient.
- No clear correlation was found between the microbiome and specific clinical characteristics.
Conclusions:
- The bacterial microbiome in tracheostomy cannulas is highly variable among patients, even those with similar clinical profiles.
- Establishing a "normal" microbiome for these devices presents a significant challenge.
- Further research is needed to understand the clinical impact of this microbial diversity.
Objectives:
To evaluate the bacterial microbiome found in tracheostomy cannulas of a group of children diagnosed with glossoptosis secondary to Robin Sequence (RS), and its clinical implications.
Methods:
Pediatric patients were enrolled in the study at the time of the cannula change in the hospital. During this procedure, the removed cannula was collected and stored for amplicon sequencing of 16s rRNA. DNA extraction was performed using DNeasy PowerBiofilm Kit (QIAGEN® ‒ Cat nº 24000-50) while sequencing was performed with the S5 (Ion S5™ System, Thermo Fisher Scientific), following Brazilian Microbiome Project (BMP) protocol.
Results:
All 12 patients included in the study were using tracheostomy uncuffed cannulas of the same brand, had tracheostomy performed for over 1-year and had used the removed cannula for approximately 3-months. Most abundant genera found were Aggregatibacter, Pseudomonas, Haemophilus, Neisseria, Staphylococcus, Fusobacterium, Moraxella, Streptococcus, Alloiococcus, and Capnocytophaga. Individual microbiome of each individual was highly variable, not correlating to any particular clinical characteristic.
Conclusion:
The microbiome of tracheostomy cannulas is highly variable, even among patients with similar clinical characteristics, making it challenging to determine a standard for normality.
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