Are antipseudomonal antibiotics really beneficial in acute respiratory exacerbations of cystic fibrosis?

Abstract

Background: Although anti-pseudomonal antibiotics are routinely used in the treatment of acute respiratory exacerbations of adult cystic fibrosis (CF), the specific efficacy of such treatment remains uncertain, the mechanism of action of these agents is not fully understood, and the role of sputum susceptibility testing in clinical decision making is controversial.

Aims: We investigated the relationship between susceptibility testing and clinical outcome in adult CF patients colonised with Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Methods: Sputum samples were collected before, during and after respiratory exacerbations from 31 admissions (17 patients). Sputum colony counts and MIC of P. aeruginosa were performed.

Results: Sputum colony counts did not change significantly during or after intravenous (IV) antibiotic therapy. Clinical outcome parameters (lung function, 12-minute walking distance, sputum weight and quality of life) were compared with susceptibility of P. aeruginosa colonies isolated at admission to the antibiotics used, and no correlation was evident. There was no evidence for the development of cross-resistance and there was no change in the proportion of mucoid colonies with therapy.

Conclusions: While this study has a small patient sample size, it highlights the inconsistency of the role of antipseudomonal drugs also shown in other similar studies. The presence of P. aeruginosa in sputum of acutely ill CF patients prompts us to prescribe i.v. antipseudomonal drugs. If this approach was valid, we would expect to find a reduction in sputum colony counts and improvement in clinical parameters with the use of antibiotics to which the organisms were sensitive. The fact that such a relationship cannot be consistently demonstrated in this and other studies suggests that the use of antipseudomonal therapy in these patients requires more critical bacteriological and clinical evaluation.