Multidisciplinary consensus on sputum induction biosafety during the COVID-19 pandemic
Abstract
Sputum induction (SI) is the gold standard approach to the non-invasive study of airway inflammation. The differential count of inflammatory cells for SI allows patients with asthma to be classified according to inflammatory phenotypes and predicted therapeutic responses. Since SI involves the generation of aerosols, there is a need to establish a protocol to ensure biosafety in clinical practice during the current COVID-19 pandemic. The multidisciplinary consensus on SI described in this article was developed by 22 experts in SI from different Spanish hospitals who drew on available scientific evidence in achieving consensuated opinions, compiled by means of an electronic survey. We hope that these unified criteria and recommendations will guide health professionals in implementing SI sampling and processing procedures as safely as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
The authors received no payment for this research. Otherwise declared are the following disclosures: AC reports personal fees from Novartis, personal fees from Chiesi España, personal fees from Lab Esteve, grants and personal fees from GlaxoSmithKline, personal fees from Ferrer, personal fees from Zambon, personal fees from Boehringer Ingelheim, personal fees from Bial, personal fees from Teva, personal fees from FAES Farma, and grants and personal fees from AstraZeneca, outside the submitted work. VP reports grants and personal fees from AstraZeneca, personal fees from Boehringer-Ingleheim, personal fees from Merck, grants and personal fees from Chiesi, personal fees from Novartis, grants from Menarini, and personal fees from Sanofi, outside the submitted work. CA has participated in grants, speaking activities, advisory committees and consultancies during the period 2017-2020 sponsored by: AstraZeneca, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Chiesi, GSK, ALK Mundipharma, Novartis, Pfizer, SEPAR and NEUMOMADRID. He declares never having received, directly or indirectly, funding from the tobacco industry or its affiliates. MLCS has nothing to disclose. JAC reports personal fees from GlaxoSmithKline, personal fees from Novartis, personal fees from AstraZeneca, personal fees from Chiesi, personal fees from Teva, and personal fees from Menarini, outside the submitted work. JACG reports personal fees from GSK, personal fees from AstraZeneca, personal fees from Novartis, personal fees from Chiesi, personal fees from Teva, personal fees from Boehringer Ingelheim, and personal fees from Menarini, outside the submitted work. MJC has nothing to disclose. DDR reports personal fees from Chiesi, personal fees from GSK, personal fees from Boehringer-Ingelheim, and personal fees from Esteve, outside the submitted work. MdCM has nothing to disclose. LPdLL reports grants, personal fees and non-financial support from AstraZeneca, personal fees and non-financial support from GSK, grants and personal fees from TEVA, personal fees and non-financial support from Novartis, personal fees and non-financial support from Chiesi, personal fees and non-financial support from Boehringer, personal fees from Sanofi, personal fees from Menarini, personal fees and non-financial support from Mundipharma, grants and personal fees from Esteve, personal fees from ROVI, personal fees from BIAL, personal fees from MSD, personal fees from TECHDOW PHARMA, and non-financial support from FAES, outside the submitted work. VdP reports grants and personal fees from Astra Zeneca, and personal fees from GSK, outside the submitted work. VLC reports personal fees from Novartis, personal fees from Chiesi España, personal fees from GlaxoSmithKline, personal fees from AstraZeneca, personal fees from Mundipharma, and personal fees from Menarini, outside the submitted work. JMMT has nothing to disclose. EM reports grants, speaking activities and research funded by SEPAR and Instituto Carlos III. He declares never having received, directly or indirectly, funding from the tobacco industry or its affiliates. XM reports grants and personal fees from GSK, personal fees from Astra-Zeneca, grants from Air-Liquide, personal fees from Novartis, and personal fees from Chiesi, outside the submitted work. JMO reports grants and personal fees from AstraZeneca, personal fees from GSK, personal fees from Novartis, grants and personal fees from Sanofi, personal fees from Mundipharma, personal fees from ALK, and personal fees from Leti, outside the submitted work. SQ reports personal fees and non-financial support from GSK, personal fees and non-financial support from AstraZeneca, personal fees and non-financial support from Sanofi, personal fees and non-financial support from Novartis, personal fees and non-financial support from Mundipharma, personal fees and non-financial support from Teva, and personal fees and non-financial support from Allergy Therapeutics, outside the submitted work. DR has nothing to disclose. DSR has nothing to disclose. JS reports personal fees from Mylan, grants and personal fees from Sanofi, personal fees from Novartis, personal fees from GSK, personal fees from AstraZeneca, personal fees from Leti, grants from ALK, and personal fees from Mundipharma, outside the submitted work. SVM has nothing to disclose. EV reports personal fees from AstraZeneca, personal fees from GSK, and personal fees from Novartis, outside the submitted work.
