Twenty-four patients with CF underwent ESS during the review period; however, only 12 had complete sets of cultures from both their sinuses and lungs. Of 12 patients, 7 had similar results in sinus and lower airway aerobic cultures. Anaerobic cultures from both sites were either negative (42%) or overgrown with aerobes (58%) and, so, were never positive. Thirty-three percent of sinus fungal cultures and 91.6% of bronchial fungal cultures were positive. Of the 4 patients with fungi cultured from both sites, there was a 50% concordance. There were no positive mycobacterial cultures from the sinuses, whereas 25% of the bronchial cultures were positive
Authors' 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