Sputum Validation for the Molecular Diagnosis of Respiratory Viral Infections in Cystic Fibrosis (EXPIRE)

In cystic fibrosis (CF), patients face polymicrobial airway infections. Besides bacteria, viruses are now also considered as important agents in lung function deterioration. No strategy has been established on the optimal sampling for respiratory viral molecular diagnostic in CF. Nasopharyngeal swabs (NP) are recommended for respiratory viral screening in non-CF patients but are invasive and sometimes painful for patients. As sputa are non invasive and collected for bacterial monitoring in CF patients they could represent a convenient alternative to NP swabs.

This study's aim is to define whether viral screening give concordant results between sputa and NP swabs.