Study design
A pre-post single-center retrospective study according to STROBE
statement checklist was conducted at the CF Centre of Bambino Gesù
Pediatric Hospital, from September 2020 to February 2021. Fifty-eight
consecutive CF patients with a Pulmonary exacerbation (PE) were
enrolled. PE with intravenous (IV) antibiotic need was defined according
to standard Fuchs’ criteria with an inadequate/absent clinical response
to a standard 14-day oral treatment. We included patients starting from
3 years of age. Exclusion criteria were an advanced lung disease with a
FEV1 ≤ 40 % of predicted and chronic Burkholderia cepacia complex and
Nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) airways infection. All study
participants performed coupled multiple breath washout test and
spirometric assessment within 72-hours from hospital admission for
pulmonary exacerbation and at the end of IV antibiotic course. IV
treatment was conducted entirely in hospital, according to the CF
guidelines, providing 14 days of intravenous processing with standard
chest daily physiotherapy pulmonary rehabilitation 26.
The study protocol was approved by the local ethics committee of Bambino
Gesù (2819_OPBG_2022). A written informed consent was obtained from
all eligible subjects or from their parents/guardians when necessary.