Transesophageal echocardiography-associated tracheal microaspiration and ventilator-associated pneumonia in intubated critically ill patients: a multicenter prospective observational study.

We could not find any association between TEE-associated microaspiration and the development of VAP during the three days following TEE in intubated critically ill patients. However, our study cannot formally rule out a role for TEE because of the high rate of VAP observed after TEE and the limitations of our methods.