title: Sensitivity and specificity of oropharyngeal suction versus bronchoalveolar lavage in identifying respiratory tract pathogens in children with chronic pulmonary infection.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to compare the pathogens obtained by oropharyngeal suction (OPS) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in children with chronic pulmonary infections. Forty-four children (mean age of 6.1 years; range 4 months to 15 years) were included in the study (27 children with recurrent localized lung infection, 5 with bronchiectasis, 5 with cystic fibrosis, 2 with foreign body aspiration, 2 with bronchiolitis obliterans, and 3 with recurrent episodes of cough and shortness of breath). In 27 out of 44 BAL samples (61%) bacterial cultures were positive. The sensitivity of OPS in detecting the same BAL pathogen was 89% (24/27 samples), the specificity was 94% (16/17 samples), and the predictive value was 91% (40/44 samples). Hemophilus influenzae beta-lactamase negative was the main organism recovered from BAL in non-cystic fibrosis patients with recurrent or persistent pneumonia. We conclude that OPS is a simple and efficient noninvasive procedure which may be helpful in the diagnosis and treatment of recurrent or chronic pulmonary infection.
mesh_terms: D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000382:microbiology*; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D009960:Oropharynx / Q000382:microbiology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013396:Suction