Search

Up to 90 percent of patients who die of cystic fibrosis (CF; a hereditary disease causing abnormally thick mucus secretions and neurologic abnormalities) are found to have colonies of the organism Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PSA) in their lungs. Once PSA becomes established in the lungs, it is almost impossible to eliminate, and persists for the remainder of the patient's life. A group of 895 CF patients was studied to determine the relationship between PSA in the lungs and the course of disease. PSA was present in the lungs of 82 percent of patients. The PSA colonization usually occurred in an early stage of lung disease. Patients who developed PSA colonization before the age of one year had a 85 percent survival rate, which was similar to the 87 percent survival rate of patients who developed PSA between age 1 and 7. Pulmonary function tests were used to assess lung function. PSA colonization did not cause a deterioration in pulmonary function in the first two years, and did not affect the 10-year survival rate of greater than 78 percent for patients who colonized the organism after the age of 7. The number of hospitalizations and length of stay in the hospital did not increase after colonization had occurred. The colonization of PSA was associated with a 10 percent decrease in FEV1 (forced expiratory volume) on pulmonary function tests, compared with patients without PSA; however, no sharp decline in FEV1 could be related to PSA colonization. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Table of Contents Abstract Introduction Epidemiology Study Seasonal Distinction Conclusion References Abstract Melioidosis is an infectious disease of public health importance which it was first described in Malaysia in 1913 [...]