Patients with childhood cancer or primary immunodeficiencies (PID) are at high risk for developing pulmonary infections and non-infectious complications. The broad differential diagnoses and the critical condition of these patients often drive physicians to start broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy before a definite diagnostic procedure is performed. A definite diagnosis may be achieved in these situations by fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL).
Pediatric Pulmonology Unit, Safra Children's Hospital, The Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, affiliated to the Tel-Aviv University, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv, Israel. ori.efrati@sheba.health.gov.il
