Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34647008›Full record

ArticleInfection prevention in practice2021

Assessment of the microbial load of airway clearance devices used by a cohort of children with cystic fibrosis.

B Linnane, N H O'Connell, E Obande, S S Dunne, C Clancy, M G Kiernan, D McGrath, K J O'Sullivan, L O'Sullivan, C P Dunne

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Infection prevention in practice, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.3field-weighted citation impact, top 41% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

B LinnanePaediatric Cystic Fibrosis Department, University Hospital Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
N H O'ConnellCentre for Interventions in Infection, Inflammation & Immunity (4i) and School of Medicine, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
E ObandePaediatric Cystic Fibrosis Department, University Hospital Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
S S DunneCentre for Interventions in Infection, Inflammation & Immunity (4i) and School of Medicine, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
C ClancyCentre for Interventions in Infection, Inflammation & Immunity (4i) and School of Medicine, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
M G KiernanCentre for Interventions in Infection, Inflammation & Immunity (4i) and School of Medicine, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
D McGrathCentre for Interventions in Infection, Inflammation & Immunity (4i) and School of Medicine, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
K J O'SullivanCentre for Interventions in Infection, Inflammation & Immunity (4i) and School of Medicine, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
L O'SullivanRapid Innovation Unit - Confirm Centre for Smart Manufacturing, School of Design & Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
C P DunneCentre for Interventions in Infection, Inflammation & Immunity (4i) and School of Medicine, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
University of Limerick · IENational Children’s Research Centre · IEUniversity Hospital Limerick · IE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPositive expiratory pressure (PEP) devices are an important element of the management of cystic fibrosis, and of other respiratory diseases. Whereas there have been reports in the literature of contamination of airway clearance devices and their surfaces by microbial pathogens, there is little evidence available regarding such contamination and its contribution to respiratory infection.

aimTo establish whether pathogenic bacteria can contaminate PEP devices in the context of normal cleaning and maintenance practices.

methodsPatients' home-use clearance devices were brought to a routine clinic appointment and collected for microbiology sampling and analysis. The patients were provided with replacement devices. Nineteen such devices were collected from 17 patients, reflecting use of multiple devices by some patients. Swabs were taken and cultured from each patient's used device, the patient's airway, as well as from new unopened and unused devices that acted as controls.

resultsSeven of 19 devices (37%) tested positive for presence of pathogenic bacteria. Device-cleaning methods varied among patients and non-sterilization methods were found to be ineffective at removing pathogens. Microbial species found on the devices did not correlate with those identified from airway swabs.

conclusionThis study demonstrates the presence of pathogens on positive expiratory pressure devices. The potential for transmission of these pathogens to the patient's airway and the risk of infection remains unclear and requires further study.

Indexed as

CleaningCystic fibrosisHygieneMicrobiologyOscillating intrapulmonary pressure (OPEP)Positive expiratory pressure (PEP)

Identifiers

PMID34647008
PMCPMC8498708
OpenAlexW3172907147

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.