title: Microbiologic contamination study of nebulizers after aerosol therapy in patients with cystic fibrosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To evaluate the contamination of delivery systems after an aerosol therapy session in patients with cystic fibrosis who have chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-three patients with cystic fibrosis were enrolled in the study from March 1996 to June 1997. All patients were age 7 years or older and had P aeruginosa infection. They also had been treated with recombinant deoxyribonuclease and were capable of producing sputum for culture.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine devices were excluded for the study. A total of 44 nebulizers were included: 37 from patients with P aeruginosa colonization with a count of 10(6) colony-forming units/mL or more and 7 with a count of between 10(5) colony-forming units/mL and 10(6) colony-forming units/mL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that in the absence of cleaning, nebulizers of patients with cystic fibrosis who are infected with P aeruginosa are likely to be contaminated by a pathogenic flora.
authors.affiliation: Rouen University Hospital, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vassal
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Taamma
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Marty
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sardet
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: d'athis
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Brémont
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Dalphin
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Plésiat
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rault
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thubert
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dominique
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Lemeland
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Derelle
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Blech
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roussey
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Perrin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sautegeau
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D006801:Humans; D009330:Nebulizers and Vaporizers / Q000382:microbiology*; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000150:complications*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols