Background: EBVs are an effective treatment for hyperinflation in COPD. Microbial colonisation can occur in COPD, and may affect clinician and multidisciplinary team decision whether to offer patients EBVs. However, little is known about the prevalence or significance of bacterial, fungal or mycobacterial presence in patients undergoing EBV treatment.
Aim: To assess the prevalence of bacteria, fungi and mycobacteria in patients undergoing EBV treatment for COPD.
Methods: We performed a single-centre retrospective analysis of almost 4 years reviewing bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid culture results for bacteria, fungi and mycobacteria in patients undergoing EBV treatment for COPD between January 2017 ? October 2020 at the Royal Brompton Hospital. Patients who had a baseline BAL (immediately prior to EBV insertion or at chartis bronchoscopy) were included.
Results: 32 patients meeting the inclusion criteria were identified. 12 patients (37.5%) had positive BAL cultures for at least 1 organism. 9 patients (28%) had positive cultures for bacteria, 4 patients (12.5%) for fungi, and 2 (6%) for mycobacteria.
Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of positive BAL cultures in patients with COPD undergoing EBV treatment. This warrants evaluation of its significance and whether positive cultures correlate with worse clinical outcomes post EBV treatment.
Table 1
| Organism cultured from BAL | Number of patients |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | 2 |
| Streptococcus pneumoniae | 2 |
| Moraxella catarrhalis | 1 |
| Citrobacter koseri | 1 |
| Stenotrophomonas maltophilia | 1 |
| Haemophilus influenzae | 1 |
| Klebsiella oxytoca | 1 |
| Candida | 3 |
| Aspergillus fumigatus | 1 |
| Mycobacterium avium | 2 |