Use of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's extensive sputum-culturing protocol for patients without cystic fibrosis: implications for infection control and antimicrobial resistance.

The US Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has guidelines for culturing respiratory tract specimens from patients with cystic fibrosis. Pulmonary physicians were surveyed regarding their use of these extensive cystic fibrosis culture protocols for patients without cystic fibrosis. The survey results and a discussion of the implications of these practices are reported.