Pseudomonas Colonization in Cystic Fibrosis

Abstract

We investigated the role ofPseudomonas aeruginosacolonization in the respiratory tracts of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients to relate the effect of this colonization to progression of bronchial airway pathologic conditions and to the patients' clinical progress, and to identify predisposing factors to persistence ofP aeruginosacolonization and bronchial tree damage. Half of 160 CF patients studied had persistentP aeruginosarespiratory tract colonization; the other half had none.Pseudomonas aeruginosaseems to have an exclusive propensity for the respiratory tract and may appear at any age. Treatment with antibiotics, including aminoglycosides, failed to eradicateP aeruginosa. The continuous use of antibiotics seemed to contribute to the persistence ofP aeruginosaand the appearance of mucoid strains ofP aeruginosa. (JAMA240:30-34, 1978)