Objectives: The identification of the specific pathogen responsible for a respiratory infection in patients with hematological malignancies (HM) would ensure relevant treatment and prevent toxicity associated with anti-infective therapy. This large-scale study aimed to explore the clinical impact of fiberoptic bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (FOB-BAL) in conjunction with molecular analysis on the diagnosis and management of respiratory infections in hemato-oncological patients.
Methods: All consecutive patients with HM and pulmonary infiltrates, who underwent FOB-BAL between January 2008 and January 2013, were included in the analysis. Clinical characteristics, FOB-BAL results, and treatment adjustments were recorded, and factors predicting a positive BAL were assessed.
Results: Four hundred and twenty-five FOB-BAL procedures were analyzed. BAL revealed a specific diagnosis in 219 (51.5%) patients, 208 of them with a pulmonary infection. Infectious etiological agents found were mainly Aspergillus spp (n=142), bacterial species (n=44), and Pneumocystis jirovecii (n=34). Multivariate analysis showed that a lymphoproliferative disease, ≥2 symptoms (dyspnea/cough/hemoptysis/pleuritic pain), and less than 4 days between symptom appearance and FOB-BAL, predicted a positive FOB-BAL result. BAL results prompted a treatment modification in 48% of subjects.
Conclusions: FOB-BAL in conjunction with molecular assays is efficient in the rapid detection of life-threatening infections, allowing for adjustment of anti-infective therapy, which may result in better outcomes and reduce treatment-related toxicity.
Keywords: Fiberoptic bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage; Hematological malignancies; Molecular analysis; Respiratory infections.
Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.