Northern Ireland Public Health Laboratory, Nightingale (Belfast City) Hospital, Lisburn Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT9 7AD, UK; Northern Ireland Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre, Level 8, Belfast City Hospital, Lisburn Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT9 7AB, UK; Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT9 7BL, UK.
Northern Ireland Public Health Laboratory, Nightingale (Belfast City) Hospital, Lisburn Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT9 7AD, UK; Northern Ireland Adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre, Level 8, Belfast City Hospital, Lisburn Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT9 7AB, UK; Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT9 7BL, UK.
J Cyst Fibros. 2021 Jul;20(4):699-701. doi: 10.1016/j.jcf.2020.10.005. Epub 2020 Nov 6.
The COVID19 pandemic has shifted the paradigm of how outpatient clinics are delivered within CF care, resulting in a significant reduction of patient visits to CF centres. One consequence of this has been a reduction in the number of sputa/cough swabs that patients submit for routine analysis. This report examines why it is important to maintain optimal sputum microbiology and explores (i). the microbiological efficiency of postal submission of sputum specimens from the community and (ii) the regulatory conditions that must be met through postal submission of respiratory specimens. Virtual clinics have now been established within CF care and it is incumbent on each speciality within the CF MDT to explore ways to nurture and support their individual contribution to the success of the virtual clinic. Within microbiology, adopting innovative approaches to sputum collection in the community and transportation via postal services will allow for continued microbiological vigilance thereby supporting patient safety.
COVID19 大流行改变了 CF 护理门诊的服务模式，导致患者到 CF 中心就诊的次数显著减少。其结果之一是，患者提交的常规分析痰液/咳嗽拭子数量减少。本报告探讨了维持最佳痰液微生物学的重要性，并探讨了（i）从社区邮寄痰液标本的微生物学效率，以及（ii）通过邮寄提交呼吸道标本必须满足的监管条件。虚拟诊所现已在 CF 护理中建立，每个 CF MDT 中的专业都有责任探索培养和支持其对虚拟诊所成功的个人贡献的方法。在微生物学领域，在社区中采用创新的痰液采集方法，并通过邮政服务进行运输，将有助于持续进行微生物学监测，从而保障患者安全。
