Fig. 1
From: Effect of invasive mechanical ventilation on the diversity of the pulmonary microbiota
Concomitant events of invasive mechanical ventilation (MV) may affect pulmonary microbiota diversity through different mechanisms. Clinical disposition of patients using invasive MV is usually associated with a series of concomitant events, mainly including (1) gastric and oral microaspirations; (2) changes in body posture (prolonged recumbency); (3) oxygen toxicity due to high oxygen inhalation in hypoxemic patients; (4) impaired airway clearance; and (5) ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). The above-mentioned invasive MV concomitant events may collectively affect the diversity of the pulmonary microbiota in a direct and/or indirect manner