Comparison of Lower Airway Sampling Strategies In Children with PBB (CLASSIC PBB)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A multi-centre, clinical trial comparing the microbiology yields of cough swab and induced sputum samples with that of bronchoalveolar lavage samples obtained during flexible bronchoscopy, in children with protracted bacterial bronchitis.
IRAS ID
299341
Contact name
Francis Gilchrist
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
PBB is a type of chest infection in young children. It causes a persistent cough which can affect school performance, limit activity and disrupt sleep. It is treated with antibiotics but prolonged and / or multiple courses are often required. Knowing which bug is causing the infection guides antibiotic choice and reduces the risk of antibiotic resistance, but this requires a lower airway sample.
Unfortunately, lower airway samples are difficult to collect in children with PBB as they rarely cough up sputum. It is done by taking a washing (bronchoalveolar lavage - BAL) during a camera test of the lungs (flexible bronchoscopy - FB). This is invasive and requires a general anaesthetic. Although safe, it is only available at specialist centres and causes significant disruption to families. Therefore, FB-BAL is only used in PBB if the cough does not improve with treatment or frequently relapses.
We want to find out if two non-invasive methods of obtaining lower airway samples (cough swab and induced sputum) are useful alternatives to FB-BAL. Both are commonly used and well tolerated in children with other lung conditions. Furthermore, University of Birmingham (UoB) will provide data on all the lung micro-organisms (microbiome) present in children with PBB.REC name
London - Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/LO/0689
Date of REC Opinion
5 Oct 2021
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion