TY - JOUR T1 - Mortality in bronchiectasis: a long-term study assessing the factors influencing survival JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J SP - 843 LP - 849 DO - 10.1183/09031936.00003709 VL - 34 IS - 4 AU - M. R. Loebinger AU - A. U. Wells AU - D. M. Hansell AU - N. Chinyanganya AU - A. Devaraj AU - M. Meister AU - R. Wilson Y1 - 2009/10/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/34/4/843.abstract N2 - There is little literature about the mortality associated with bronchiectasis. The aim of the present study was to investigate factors affecting mortality in patients with bronchiectasis. In total, 91 patients were examined for aetiology, pulmonary function tests, high-resolution computed tomography, sputum microbiology and quality of life scores and were then followed over 13 yrs. Overall, 29.7% of the patients died. On multivariate analysis, age, St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire activity score, Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection, total lung capacity (TLC), residual volume/TLC and the transfer factor coefficient were all independently associated with mortality. In patients with moderate to severe bronchiectasis, mortality is associated with a degree of restrictive and obstructive disease, poor gas transfer and chronic pseudomonas infection. These features should guide future research into disease progression, and identify those patients needing intensive treatment. ER -