Children
Lateral-Flow Device (LFD) Aspergillus Antigen Detection in Broncho-Alveolar Lavage (BAL) Fluid in Paediatrics: A Literature Review and Pilot Study
By Zeynep Ergenç, Kit McDowell, Andres Almario and 2 others.
Abstract
Background
Invasive aspergillosis (IA) causes significant morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised children, yet diagnosis remains challenging due to non-specific clinical and radiological findings and the need for invasive procedures. Aspergillus lateral flow devices (Asp-LFD) offer rapid point-of-care testing, particularly for bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), but paediatric data is limited.
Methods
In this study, we combined a literature review and a prospective pilot study to evaluate the use of Asp-LFD in paediatrics. We performed a prospective single-centre study evaluating BAL Asp-LFD in immunocompromised children with suspicion of pulmonary IA. Clinical, radiological, and microbiological data were collected and BAL samples were analysed using the Asp-LFD as well as standard investigations.