Aerosol therapy in cystic fibrosis: a survey of 54 CF centers

Aerosol therapy has become increasingly important in the treatment of lung disease of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Still, many questions concerning this therapy remain unanswered. It is unclear at what age aerosol therapy should be started; which aerosolized drugs are essential in the treatment of CF lung disease; which delivery system(s) should be used; and how aerosol therapy should be timed in relation to physiotherapy. We hypothesized that large differences in aerosol treatment practices between CF centers would be present. To investigate this, we performed an observational survey to evaluate different aspects of aerosol therapy. A questionnaire was sent to 102 CF centers in 28 different countries. A completed questionnaire was returned by 54 out of 94 centers (57%). In these 54 centers, 7,324 CF patients were treated. Substantial differences were found in aerosol therapy between centers. Patients below age 1 year were not treated with any form of aerosol therapy in 10% of the centers, while 37.5% of the centers treated all of these patients. The timing of nebulization and physiotherapy varied substantially for many important and expensive drugs. We conclude that many aspects of aerosol therapy in cystic fibrosis need to be executed in a more rational and evidence-based manner than is currently the case.