This interview is with Clinical Medicine: Circulatory, Respiratory and Pulmonary Medicine editorial board member Dr Lee Morrow.

Clinical Medicine: Circulatory, Respiratory and Pulmonary Medicine is an open access journal published by Libertas Academica. Editor in Chief

Dr Hussein D Foda has recently issued a call for papers.

What is the primary focus of your work and main areas of expertise?

My primary areas of interest include nosocomial infections - particularly pneumonia - and intensive care unit outcomes. My clinical research team is presently focusing its efforts on novel methods of preventing preventing ICU-acquired infections. We are currently examining the roles of probiotics in preventing infectious complications of intensive care.

What are the most exciting and cutting-edge developments in your area?

This is an area of active clinical investigation given recent trends in antimicrobial resistance and the lack of new antimicrobial compounds in the pharmaceutical industry pipeline. Because nosocomial infection rates are increasingly being used as a measure of "quality of care", this is an area of significant scrutiny by patients, hospitals and insurers.

Who are your main formal and informal collaborators and/or networks? Please describe your work with them.

I continue to collaborate with Dr. Marin Kollef at Washington University and Dr. Tom Casale at Creighton University. Our collective efforts are investigating not only the clinical applications of probiotics in the ICU, but also the effects of these agents on the immune system of critically ill patients.

How did you come to be working in your research area?

My unique clinical interests combined with the expertise of my mentors and collaborators has led to my current avenue of study. However, we are always interested in pursuing innovative collaborations that could translate into novel therapies.

What do you think about the development of open access publishing? Have you published in an open access journal? What motivated you to do so?

Open access publishing provides several benefits to the scientific community. Most importantly it increases access to scholarly work, thereby increasing the impact of authors' works. The increased speed with which manuscripts are reviewed and published increases the efficiency of the research process. In my personal experience, the more informal feel of open access publishing promotes academic exchange between the author and the audience.

What articles and/or books have you published recently?

• Morrow LE, Kollef M. Recognition and Prevention of Nosocomial Pneumonia in the ICU and Infection Control in Mechanical Ventilation. Intensive Care Medicine. 2009; Accepted and in press.
• Morrow LE, Kollef MH. Hospital Acquired Pneumonia. In: Jong E, Stevens D. Netter’s Infectious Diseases. New York: Elsevier. 2009.
• Hilleman DE, Malesker MA, Morrow LE, Schuller D. A Systematic Review of the Cardiovascular Risk of Inhaled Anticholinergics in Patients with COPD. International Journal of COPD. 2009;4:253-263.
• Morrow LE. Probiotics in the Intensive Care Unit. Curr Opin Crit Care. 2009;15:144-148.
• Baughman RP, Morrow LE. Contemporary Diagnosis and Management of Nosocomial Pneumonias. Handbooks in Health Care Co. Newtown, Pennsylvania. 2009.
• Morrow LE. Prevention Strategies for Healthcare-Associated Pneumonia. Semin Resp Crit Care Med. 2009;30:86-91.
• Kollef M, Morrow LE, Baughman RP, et al. Health Care-Associated Pneumonia (HCAP): A Critical Appraisal to Improve Identification, Management and Outcomes – Proceedings of the HCAP Summit. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2008;46:S296-334.
• Morrow LE, Shorr AF. The Seven Deadly Sins of Ventilator Associated Pneumonia. Chest. 2008;134:225-6.
• Morrow LE, Kollef MH. Probiotics in the Intensive Care Unit: Why Controversies and Confusion Abound. Critical Care. 2008;12:160.