POSTAL TRANSPORT OF SPUTA FROM CYSTIC-FIBROSIS PATIENTS DOES NOT DECREASE THE MICROBIOLOGICAL YIELD

Ambulatory cystic fibrosis patients often submit sputum specimens by p ost. This study addressed the question if and how postal transport aff ects the microbiological results of sputum cultures from these patient s. Thirty-two fresh sputa and 32 next-day sputa posted from home were cultured qualitatively and quantitatively. The numbers of isolates of potentially pathogenic species and the mean numbers of colony-forming units of these isolates grown from parallel specimens were statistical ly not different. It is concluded that - under the conditions of this study - postal transport of sputa from cystic fibrosis patients does n ot decrease the microbiological yield.