Source: Spine  |  Posted 9 years ago

Respiratory infection with []Alcaligenes[] species appears to have little effect on the clinical status of patients with cystic fibrosis, a small study suggests.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients are rarely infected with chronic []Alcaligenes[] species infection, researchers report, and the one in 50 that is infected has similar rates of decline in clinical and pulmonary function as do CF patients without the infection.

The findings come from a study of a clinic population of 557, who were also found to have no excess deterioration in clinical and pulmonary measures in the two years before infection compared to the two years after.

The researchers, from the cystic fibrosis unit at the University of Leeds, England, found that only 13 patients (2.3 percent) were chronically infected with []Alcaligenes[], as determined by positive sputum cultures three or more times over a period of six months.

Patients were compared to other CF patients and were matched for age, gender, respiratory function test results, []Pseudomonas aeruginosa[] infection.

Researchers compared respiratory function results, anthropometric measurements, Shwachman-Kulczycki scores, Northern chest X-ray scores, use of intravenous and nebulized antibiotics and corticosteroid treatment, which were all measured for the two years before and two years after []Alcaligenes[] was diagnosed.

There were no significant changes for forced expiratory volume in one second, forced vital capacity, and forced expiratory flow at 25%-75% of maximal lung volume, or in the Shwachman-Kulczycki scores or Northern chest X-ray scores. Similarly there was no difference in height, weight, or body mass index z-scores, between the []Alcaligenes[]-infected patients and the controls. There was also no difference between the two groups of patients in their use of intravenous or nebulized antibiotics nor their use or oral or inhaled steroids.