Induced sputum compared to bronchoalveolar lavage in young, non-expectorating cystic fibrosis children.

BACKGROUND: Induced sputum (IS) is feasible and safe in young CF children and is a readily accessible, non-invasive technique. However, it has not been compared to bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), the gold standard for diagnosing lower airway infection.

METHODS: We compared bacterial yield from IS and BAL in 11 non-expectorating CF children, aged 3 to 7.4 years. IS samples were obtained in 10/11 cases.

RESULTS: Eight out of ten had the same predominant bacteria cultured from IS and BAL: Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia[1], Staphylococcus aureus[3], and upper respiratory tract flora [4]. In one, Serratia marcescens and Haemophilus parainfluenzae were cultured from IS alone, whereas in one, non-group B Haemophilus influenzae was cultured from BAL alone.

CONCLUSIONS: As proof of principle, IS samples showed good bacteriologic correlation with BAL. Larger studies are recommended to confirm IS as a clinically valuable tool and measure for early intervention studies in young CF children.