The European respiratory journal : official journal of the European Society for Clinical Respiratory Physiology
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Bronchiectasis patients are susceptible to infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Isolation is associated with increased severity of disease, greater airflow obstruction and poorer quality of life. It is not known whether infection by P. aeruginosa is a marker of disease severity or contributes to disease progression. ⋯ However, longitudinal behaviour did not differ between groups 1, 2 and 3, either before or after adjustment for baseline FEV(1) levels. Infection by Pseudomonas aeruginosa occurs in bronchiectasis patients with more severe impairment of pulmonary function but does not influence rate of decline in pulmonary function either before or after adjustment for baseline disease severity. Thus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a marker of bronchiectasis severity but is not linked to an accelerated decline in pulmonary function.