Amer Saleem, Zafar Hussain Iqbal.
Local microbiological trends in chronic stable bronchiectasis.
J Allama Iqbal Med Coll Jan ;6(4):48-51.

Bronchiectasis is one of the most common chronic lung diseases. Bronchiectasis is primarily a disease of the bronchi and bronchioles (1) involving a vicious circle of transmural infection and inflammation with mediator release. It mainly results from the airway injury and remodeling attributable to recurrent or chronic inflammation and infection. The underlying etiologies include autoimmune diseases, severe infections, genetic abnormalities and acquired disorders (2). The associated chronic respiratory infections and airway sepsis are punctuated by episodes of acute exacerbation. Prompt recognition and treatment of bronchiectasis may allow for prevention of disease progression and irreversible loss of lung function. Pathogens commonly recovered from the distal airways of the bronchiectatic patients include Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae (3, 4, 5, 6). Management strategies include sputum surveillance, sputum clearance, antimicrobial therapy as well as the evidence for the use of inhalational and anti-inflammatory therapies such as corticosteroids.

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