Characteristics of Lower Respiratory Tract Escherichia Coli Isolates Colonizing and Infecting Mechanically Ventilated Intensive Care Patients: a French Multicenter Prospective Collection

Prospective, observational, multiple center study performed in 14 ICUs in France to collect Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolates originating from mechanically ventilated intensive care unit (ICU) patients; in order to characterize phenotype and genotype of E. coli strains retrieved from the lower respiratory tract of ventilated patients. All E. coli isolates identified in the microbiology lab and retrieved from a lung specimen (either tracheal aspirate, bronchoalveolar lavage, or telescopic plugged catheter) originating from an ICU patient will be kept, and stored at -80°C in brain-heart infusion broth containing glycerol 20 %. They will be then centralized in the investigators' research unit for further analysis that includes determination of Antimicrobial susceptibility, E. coli phylotype , O-type, and virulence factor gene content.

These isolates will be compared to those of two previously published collections, one from the stools of community subjects, considered as commensal strains, the other from the blood of bacteraemia patients.