A comparison of pulmonary exacerbations with single and multiple organisms in patients with cystic fibrosis and chronic Burkholderia cepacia infection.
OBJECTIVE
To compare pulmonary exacerbations with single and multiple organisms in patients with chronic Burkholderia cepacia infection.


METHODS
Data was collected over a 23-month period and for each of the patients two episodes of pulmonary exacerbation were identified, one with B. cepacia isolated as the sole respiratory pathogen and the other with one or more coinfecting organisms grown from the sputum culture.


METHODS
Regional tertiary referral center for Respiratory Medicine and Adult Cystic Fibrosis Center for Northern Ireland, Belfast City Hospital.


METHODS
Adult (over 16 years) CF patients with chronic (more than 4 years) B. cepacia complex infection who attended the Belfast City Hospital between January 1997 and November 1998.


METHODS
Forced expiratory volume in 1s, forced vital capacity, forced expiratory flow rate 25-75, C-reactive protein, leucocyte count and body mass index were measured before and after two weeks of treatment and analysed for any differences in change between the two episodes.


RESULTS
All variables in both groups improved following treatment except for body mass index, which remained unchanged. No significant differences between the measurements were identified on comparison of single (monomicrobial) and multiple (polymicrobial) isolate episodes.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with chronic B. cepacia infection who develop a pulmonary exacerbation improve, as reflected by clinical and biochemical markers, following IV antibiotic treatment. Pulmonary exacerbations with multiple organisms are no more severe than those where only B. cepacia is isolated.
Mc Manus
T E
TE
Belfast City Hospital, Lisburn Road Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT9 7AB. Terry.McManus@bll.n-i.nhs.uk
Moore
J E
JE
Crowe
M
M
Dunbar
K
K
Elborn
J S
JS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D019121:Burkholderia Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D016956:Burkholderia cepacia / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology*; D020615:Stenotrophomonas maltophilia / Q000302:isolation & purification
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents