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Table 3 Studies comparing quantitative cultures with pathology

From: Diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia: a systematic review of the literature

First author

Sample

Dx Tests

Gold standard

Results

Balthazar, 2001, ** [13]

Mixed ICU, 37 pts

BAL (104) & Gram & cells from BAL

Pathology + Culture

• BAL: sens = 19%, spec = 94%; fever: sens = 50%, spec = 76%; leucocytosis (>10000): sens = 60%, spec = 76%; Gram stain: sens = 85%, spec = 94%; total cell (>400000): sens = 90%, spec = 94%.

Torres, 2000, ** [26]

Medical ICU, 25 pts

TBA (105) & PSB (103) & BAL (104) & pBAL (104)

Pathology + Culture

• TBA: sens = 50%, spec = 67%.

• PSB: sens = 67%, spec = 75%.

• pBAL: sens = 63%, spec = 83%.

• BAL: sens = 83%, spec = 68%.

Fabregas, 1999, ** [11]

MIxed ICU, 25 pts

Johanson & CPIS & TBA (105), PSB (103), pBAL (104) and BAL (104)

Pathology + Culture

• Johanson criteria (2): sens = 69%, spec = 75%.

• Any Johanson criteria: Chest Rx: sens = 92%, spec = 33%; leukocytosis: sens = 77%, spec = 58%; fever: sens = 46%, spec = 42%; purulent secretions: sens = 69%, spec = 42%.

• CPIS: sens = 77%, spec = 42%.

• TBA: sens = 69%, spec = 92%.

• pBAL: sens = 39%, spec = 100%.

• BAL: sens = 77%, spec = 58%.

• PSB: sens = 62%, spec = 75%.

• QtC increased little to clinical diagnosis accuracy.

Papazian, 1997, # [29]

Mixed ICU, 28 pts

Gram & ICO

Pathology + Culture

• BBS Gram stain: sens = 56%, spec = 73%.

• mini-BAL Gram Stain: sens = 44%, spec = 87%.

• BAL Gram stain: sens = 56%, spec = 100%.

• BBS ICO (>10%): sens = 56%, spec = 40%.

• Mini-BAL ICO (>5%): sens = 67%, spec = 53%.

• BAL ICO (>4%): sens = 56%, spec = 40%.

Kirtland, 1997, ** [27]

Mixed ICU, 39 pts

TA &PSB & pPSB & BAL & BAL cells

Pathology + Culture

• TA: sens = 87%, spec = 31%.

• pPSB: sens = 30%, spec = 81%.

• PSB: sens = 44%, spec = 81%.

• BAL: sens = 65%, spec = 63%.

• >50% neutrophils in BAL: sens = 100%.

Marquette, 1995, ** [28]

Mixed ICU, 28 pts

TA (105 & 106) & PSB (103) & BAL (104)

Pathology

• TA (105): sens = 63%, spec = 75%.

• TA (106): sens = 50%, spec = 85%.

• PSB (103): sens = 57%, spec = 88%.

• BAL (104): sens = 47%, spec = 100%.

• ICO (any%): sens = 36%, spec = 100%.

Torres, 1996 *, ** [25]

Mixed ICU, 25 pts

ICO (≥ 5%), mini-BAL (104) & BAL (104)

Pathology

• ICO (≥ 5%) compared to mini-BAL: PPV = 75%, NPV = 83%.

• ICO (≥ 5%) compared to BAL: PPV = 57%, NPV = 8 3%.

• Mini-BAL: sens = 22%, spec = 100%.

• BAL: sens = 45%, spec = 55%.

Papazian, 1995, ** [17]

MIxed ICU, 38 pts

BBS (104) & mini-BAL (103) & PSB (103) & BAL (104) & CPIS

Pathology + Culture

• CPIS: sens = 72%, spec = 85%.

• BBS (104): sens = 83%, spec = 80%.

• mini-BAL (103): sens = 67%, spec = 80%.

• BAL (104): sens = 58%, spec = 95%.

• PSB (103): sens = 42%, spec = 95%.

Torres, 1994, ** [24]

Mixed ICU, 30 pts

TBA (105) & PSB (103) & BAL (104) & Clinical data

Pathology

• Clinical data: fever: sens = 55%, spec = 58%; purulent secretions: sens = 83%, spec = 33%; Rx infiltrate: sens = 78%, spec = 42%.

• Pulmonary biopsy culture (≥103): sens = 40%, spec = 45%.

• Quantitative cultures: TBA: sens = 44%, spec = 48%; PSB: sens = 36%, spec = 50%; BAL: sens = 50%, spec = 45%.

Rouby, 1989, ** [30]

Surgical ICU, 59 pts

pBAL

Pathology + culture

• pBAL: sens = 80%, spec = 66% to identify VAP; sens = 73% to identify the microorganism.

Chastre, 1984, ** [10]

Mixed ICU, 26 pts

PSB (103)

Lung culture

• PSB correlated well to lung cultures, especially in the subgroup of patients who received no antibiotics during the week preceding their death.

  1. ICU = intensive care unit; BAL = bronchoalveolar lavage; sens = sensitivity; spec = specificity; TBA = tracheobronchial aspirate; PSB = protected specimen brush; pBAL = protected BAL or 'mini-BAL'; CPIS = clinical pulmonary infection score; QtC = quantitative culture; ICO = intracellular organism; BBS = blind bronchial sampling; TA = tracheal aspiration; PPV = positive predictive value; NPV = negative predictive value; * = retrospective; ** = consecutive; # convenient