title: The role of bronchoalveolar lavage in the microbiological diagnosis of pneumonia in patients with haematological malignancies.
abstract: In the aetiological diagnosis of pulmonary infections in patients affected by haematological malignancies we evaluated the utility of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). One hundred and twenty-seven BAL were performed in 119 patients. In our series, we identified the agent of pneumonia in 53.5% of episodes with the best results in aspergillosis, very common in these patients. The previous empirical anti-infective treatment was modified in 14 episodes (11%). The procedure was generally well tolerated and only one patient bled. We maintain that BAL is a useful diagnostic tool for detecting the agents of pulmonary infections in patients with haematological malignancies, especially when the routine microbiological procedures fail, and it also represents a good alternative to more invasive procedures.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Semeiotica Medica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy. liviop@usa.net
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pagano
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pagliari
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Basso
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marra
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sica
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Frigieri
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Morace
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ardito
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leone
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D018893:Bronchoalveolar Lavage / Q000009:adverse effects; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006469:Hemoptysis / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000150:complications*; D008172:Lung Diseases, Fungal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000175:diagnosis; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D011024:Pneumonia, Viral / Q000175:diagnosis; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents