Incidence and prevalence of common respiratory pathogens before and after implementation of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Infection Prevention and Control Guideline

Background: The 2013 Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Infection Prevention and Control Guideline (CFF IP&C) was developed to reduce the risk of acquisition and transmission of respiratory pathogens in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Objective: We hypothesised that the incidence of common CF respiratory pathogens would decrease at our centre after implementation of the guideline. Methods: All patients with CF seen at our centre from August 2012 through August 2017 who had respiratory cultures were included. Patients were excluded from incidence analysis if they did not have at least one culture per year. Quarterly data were collected for one year before and three years after implementation of the guidelines to determine the incidence and prevalence of seven organisms commonly found in respiratory cultures of patients with CF. Results: Quarterly and annual incidence and prevalence rates of common organisms did not change during the study period. Discussion: There were no significant differences in the incidence or prevalence of common respiratory organisms in the first three years after implementation of the CF IP&C guideline. Long-term follow-up is needed to determine if changes occur over time.