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Article History

Received: 23 August 2019

Accepted: 29 November 2019

First Online: 17 December 2019

Ethics approval and consent to participate

: <i>University Hospitals Leuven</i>Central Ethics Committee: Ethics Committee Research UZ/ KU Leuven, BelgiumApproval code: S61188<i>Ghent University Hospital</i>Ethics Committee of the Ghent University Hospital, BelgiumApproval code: EC/2018/0356<i>ZNA Stuivenberg</i>Commissie voor Medische Ethiek ZNA – Institutional Review Board ZNA/OCMW Antwerpen, Belgium:Approval code: 5064<i>Statement on the need for informed consent:</i>The need for informed consent was waived because of the exclusively retrospective nature of the study. Non-tuberculous mycobacteria are frequently isolated from respiratory samples as they are ubiquitous in the environment and often not related to pathology. Some people might have been unaware of insignificant NTM positive isolates and asking for consent might have caused unnecessary distress and unease. Some patients included, had already died, mostly of other causes and asking consent to the next of kin might have caused additional, unnecessary distress and sorrow. Furthermore, data were analysed anonymously.

: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.