Abstract
Bronchiectasis is the end result of several different illnesses and a frequent cause of admission in hospitals for elderly people and chronic diseases. Although many guidelines recommend treatment with inhaled antibiotics in non cystic fibrosis (CF) bronchiectasis in chronic bronchial infection with pseudomonas aeruginosa, there is limited evidence for elderly patients
Aims: To assess the effectiveness of inhaled colistin in elderly patients with non CF bronchiectasis and chronic bronchial pseudomonas infection
Methods: Prospective, controlled, randomized and open. We included patients with HRCT diagnosed bronchiectasis, after an acute exacerbation admission and appropriate antimicrobial therapy. We collected data on demographics, clinical and functional characteristics, admissions and sputum microbiology. We followed the patients for one year, evaluating microbiological results, functional tests, readmissions and exitus.
Results: We included 25 patients, 13 treated with inhaled colistin and 12 in control group. Four patients stopped the treatment because of adverse effects. Main results are shown in table 1
Conclusions: Significant more patients in the treatment group achieved Pseudomonas eradication, but we could not demonstrate clinical or functional benefits in our elderly patients. These results may be due to small sample size.
Side effects were frequent.
- © 2012 ERS
