Characteristics of subjects with positive and negative BAL cultures for Aspergillus at age 5 years, presented as number of subjects in each category (%) or median (IQR) values
| Characteristics | Positive Aspergillus
n=28 (17.9%) | Negative Aspergillus
n=128 (82.1%) | P value |
| Female | 17 (60.7) | 60 (46.9) | 0.23 |
| Meconium ileus | 7 (25.0) | 25 (19.5) | 0.34 |
| Children in BAL arm of ACFBAL study | 15 (53.6) | 64 (50.0) | 0.52 |
| Children in OP arm of ACFBAL study | 13 (46.4) | 64 (50.0) | |
| Received gentamicin | 8 (28.6) | 35 (27.3) | 0.53 |
| Received anti-staphylococcal prophylaxis until their first birthday | 6 (21.4) | 27 (21.1) | 0.56 |
| Children with positive Pseudomonas aeruginosa in BAL culture at age 5 years | 4 (14.3) | 13 (10.2) | 0.36 |
| Children with positive P. aeruginosa in BAL culture prior to age 5 years | 8 (28.6) | 37 (28.9) | 0.59 |
| Body mass index z-score at BAL | 0.16 (−0.31, 0.58) | 0.01 (−0.41, 0.43) | 0.45 |
| Cumulative dosage of intravenous tobramycin (not associated with eradication therapy) (mg) | 33 (0.00, 49.5) | 64 (0.0, 670.0) | 0.03 |
| Cumulative dosage of intravenous tobramycin received (mg)* | 2667.5 (247.5, 4203.8) | 0.0 (0.0, 2344.5) | 0.001 |
| Cumulative dosage of inhaled tobramycin received (mg) | 56 282.5 (8449.5, 72 750) | 0.0 (0.0, 36 600) | 0.06 |
| Cumulative dosage of intravenous and oral antibiotics (not associated with eradication therapy) (mg)† | 11 784.9 (1458.7, 43 099.5) | 7323.5 (468.75, 33 186.5) | 0.26 |
| Minimum annual temperature at geographic region at baseline (°C) | 10.6 (−4.53, 11.8) | 11.9 (4.4, 12.8) | 0.14 |
| Maximum annual temperature at geographic region at baseline (°C) | 27.2 (20.6, 31.4) | 24.1 (20.6, 26.7) | 0.045 |
| Number of P. aeruginosa eradication therapy courses received before BAL | 2 (1, 2) | 0.5 (0, 1) | 0.001 |
| Number of ‘all-cause’ CF-related hospitalisations before age 5 years BAL | 3.5 (1, 7) | 3 (1.2, 5.5) | 0.03 |
| Number of all pulmonary exacerbations before age 5 years BAL | 12 (6.5, 17.5) | 13 (10, 17) | 0.66 |
| Number of pulmonary exacerbations requiring hospitalisation before age 5 years BAL | 3 (1, 4) | 2 (1, 4) | 0.90 |
*Combined with an anti-pseudomonal beta-lactam antibiotic.
†Antibiotics other than tobramycin and not associated with eradication therapy (eg, intravenous cefuroxime, oral macrolides, amoxicillin-clavulanate and cotrimoxazole).
ACFBAL, Australasian Cystic Fibrosis Bronchoalveolar Lavage study;BAL, bronchoalveolar lavage;CF, cystic fibrosis;OP, oropharyngeal; n, number of children contributing data.