Risk of lung colonization by pseudomonas aeruginosa is greater for bronchiectasis patients age 55 and older, according to research published in the European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases.5
Researchers conducted an observational study of 211 bronchiectasis patients and found 25% of the patients had a chronic colonization with P. aeruginosa.
According to results, P. aeruginosa-positive patients were more likely to be older than 55 and to use inhalation antibiotics and hypertonic saline.5
Additional factors included a higher rate of smoking status, a more frequent use of maintenance therapy with macrolides, and a worse outcome in the clinical scoring systems according to the FACED scale and BSI scale.5 These patients also had a significantly increased exacerbation frequency and hospital admissions, researchers reported.
Researchers called P. aeruginosa an important biomarker for bronchiectasis severity, and noted the rate of chronic colonization was 10% greater in their population compared to European averages (25% vs 15%).5
“Since prevention of P. aeruginosa colonization is an important aim in the treatment of bronchiectasis, more attention could be directed to these groups at risk for pseudomonas colonization,” researchers concluded.
Reference
5. Pieters, A., Bakker, M., Hoek, R.A.S. et al. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-019-03675-z (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10096-019-03675-z)
