title: Pharmacological treatment options for bronchiectasis: focus on antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory agents.
abstract: Patients with bronchiectasis experience tenacious mucus, recurrent infectious exacerbations, and progressive worsening of symptoms and obstruction over time. Treatment is aimed at trying to break the cycle of infection and progressive airway destruction. Antibacterial treatment is targeted towards likely organisms or tailored to the results of sputum culture. Inhaled antibacterial therapy may offer the advantage of increased local concentration of medication, while minimizing systemic adverse effects; however, to date, studies have been equivocal in this disorder. Macrolides, in addition to their antibacterial properties, have unique anti-inflammatory properties, which may make them useful in this disorder. Other mucoactive and anti-inflammatory agents, such as inhaled corticosteroids, mannitol and hypertonic saline, may also prove useful in this disease, but further studies are needed.
authors.affiliation: Winthrop University Hospital, State University Hospital of New York at Stony Brook, Mineola, New York 11501, USA. jilowite@winthrop.org
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ilowite
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Spiegler
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kessler