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Distress during airway sampling in children with cystic fibrosis

Jun Ting Chau1, Karen Peebles1, Yvonne Belessis2,3

  • 1Department of Health Professions, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Archives of Disease in Childhood
|May 27, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Oropharyngeal swab is a less distressing method for collecting airway samples in children with cystic fibrosis (CF) compared to suctioning. The Groningen Distress Rating Scale (GDRS) proved reliable for assessing patient distress.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Clinical Trial Methodology

Background:

  • Cystic Fibrosis (CF) requires regular airway sample collection for diagnosis and management.
  • Oropharyngeal suction and oropharyngeal swab are established methods for obtaining these samples.
  • Previous research indicates similar diagnostic accuracy between these two methods.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the level of distress experienced by children with CF during oropharyngeal suction versus oropharyngeal swab.
  • To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Groningen Distress Rating Scale (GDRS) in this pediatric population.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized crossover design was employed, with children undergoing both oropharyngeal suction and swab over two separate visits.
  • Distress was assessed using the Groningen Distress Rating Scale (GDRS) by two physiotherapists and a parent.
  • Heart rate (HR) was monitored as a physiological indicator of distress.

Main Results:

  • Twenty-four children with CF (mean age 3 years) participated in the study.
  • Both physiotherapist and parent ratings indicated significantly higher distress levels during oropharyngeal suction compared to oropharyngeal swab.
  • The GDRS demonstrated very good inter-rater reliability between physiotherapists and good reliability between physiotherapists and parents.

Conclusions:

  • Oropharyngeal swab is a less distressing method for obtaining airway samples in children with cystic fibrosis compared to oropharyngeal suction.
  • The Groningen Distress Rating Scale (GDRS) is a reliable and valid tool for measuring distress in this context.
Abstract

Keywords:
oropharyngealpaediatricsputumsuctionswab

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