Utility of bronchoalveolar lavage in the diagnosis of pulmonary infection in children with haematological malignancies

Background Fibre-optic bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a safe procedure and is associated with low morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised children. Although many studies have highlighted the advantages of positive BAL results in the diagnosis of pulmonary infections, there have been few reports examining the impact of a negative BAL result on clinical management in immunocompromised children on empiric broad-spectrum antimicrobial therapy.