title: Cost-effective airway cultures in the cystic fibrosis patient.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients have a high incidence of multidrug-resistant infections, rendering CF patients a treatment challenge.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate culture protocols for CF patients and develop a cost-effective culture regimen that identifies clinically relevant pathogens.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review.
  
  
  METHODS
  At the time of endoscopic sinus surgery, CF patients underwent both sinus and bronchial lavage cultures. Medical records from 2002 to 2006 were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-four cases were identified; 12 had complete sets of cultures. Seven of 12 had sinus aerobic bacteria that were also present in bronchial culture. Anaerobic cultures from both sites were all negative (42%) or nondiagnostic (58%). Thirty-three percent of sinus fungal cultures and 91.6% of bronchial fungal cultures were positive. Sinus acid fast bacillus cultures were all negative.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CF culture protocols may be streamlined by eliminating all anaerobic cultures, as well as sinus acid fast bacillus and fungal cultures for a 52% reduction in cost.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Ghegan
authors.forename: Sarah K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Wise
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Patrick A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Flume
authors.forename: C Michael
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Bowman
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Virella-Lowell
authors.forename: Rodney J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Schlosser
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000191:economics; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000382:microbiology*; D002648:Child; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010256:Paranasal Sinuses / Q000382:microbiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies