[Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonisation in bronchiectatic patients and clinical reflections]

Bronchiectasis is characterized with irreversible dilatation according to destruction of epithelium, elastic and muscular layer. Most important cause of bronchiectasis is chronic bacterial infections. Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonisation is frequently seen in bronchiectatic patients. We aimed to find out P. aeruginosa colonisation frequency and clinical, radiological and spirometric reflections due to colonisation. We analysed 83 cases retrospectively. Mean age was 58.2 and 54.2% of them were female. Bronchiectasis were localised 19.3% in left lung, 19.3% right and 61.4% bilaterally. 29 (35.8%) normal, 28 (34.6%) obstructive, 7 (8.6%) restrictive, 17 (21%) mixed type disorders are detected in spirometric measures. Sputum culture performed in 50 cases. No microorganism colonisation determined in 30 (60%) cases, P. aeruginosa colonisation 16 (32%), Haemophilus influenzae 2 (4%), 1 (2%) Streptococcus pneumoniae and Proteus mirabilis 1 (2%) cases. P. aeruginosa colonisation determined more frequent in males (p<0.05). No significant correlation detected between colonisation and age or smoking habits (p>0.05). In cases with colonisation; clubbing and hemoptysis were significantly frequent (p<0.05). Only peribronchial thickening was significantly correlated with colonisation in radiological findings (p<0.05). In blood gase analysis PaO2, oxygen saturation were lower and PaCO2 higher in cases colonised with P. aeruginosa but it was not statisticaly significant (p>0.05). Hospitalization rate was higher in P. aeruginosa colonised cases (p>0.05). It is an important problem about mortality because of higher hemoptysis and hospitalisation requirement rate in P. aeruginosa colonised cases.