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Impact of Home Collection and Shipping of Respiratory Specimens on Bacterial Pathogen Detection in Children With

Jordana E Hoppe1, Tim Vigers2, Arianne Trujillo3

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA.

Pediatric Pulmonology
|September 12, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Home collection of respiratory samples for cystic fibrosis (CF) pathogen identification is feasible and acceptable in children with CF. This method shows good concordance with clinic-based testing, supporting its use in remote care.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Infectious Disease Diagnostics
  • Cystic Fibrosis Care

Background:

  • Respiratory pathogen evaluation is crucial in cystic fibrosis (CF) care but often missed during remote visits.
  • Current remote care limitations necessitate innovative diagnostic approaches for CF patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the impact of shipping and home collection of respiratory samples on CF pathogen identification.
  • To determine the feasibility and acceptability of home-based respiratory sample collection in children with CF.

Main Methods:

  • Collected three respiratory samples: immediate clinic processing, delayed clinic processing, and home collection within one week.
  • Evaluated pathogen identification concordance using Fleiss' Kappa.
  • Assessed feasibility and acceptability via participant surveys.

Main Results:

  • High home sample return rate (92%) and substantial agreement for methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (Kappa=0.676).
  • No significant differences in pathogen detection between clinic and home-collected samples.
  • Home collection reported as easy, acceptable, and willing to repeat, with no identified barriers.

Conclusions:

  • High concordance and accuracy were observed between clinic and home-collected respiratory samples for CF pathogen identification.
  • Home collection of respiratory samples for culture in children with CF is a feasible and acceptable strategy.
  • Supports the integration of home-based sample collection into remote CF care protocols.
Abstract

Keywords:
culturecystic fibrosismicrobiologytelehealth

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