Question Pulmonology
October 24, 2018 | 50,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Frauke Gehring
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am working as a journalist on an article about cystic fibrosis. For this, I have the following questions (please provide short explanations for your answers):
- What is the significance of bacterial infections in cystic fibrosis?
- Are such infections often overlooked?
- What are the consequences of untreated bacterial infections for the disease?
I would like to use your answers as a quote, thank you very much. Best regards!
Good morning,
In cystic fibrosis, the mucus that we all produce in the bronchi is too thick due to a metabolic disorder. This significantly impairs the cleansing mechanism (with mucus we cough out viruses, bacteria, but also fine dust). In the case of a bacterial infection, there is an increased formation of thick mucus, which can lead to shortness of breath and blockage of the airways. The immune defense of cystic fibrosis patients is also reduced, making it easier for these infections to spread to life-threatening pneumonia. Repeated infections can lead to chronic bronchitis, which can further worsen lung function.
Such infections are not easy to overlook. Infections cause the mucus to become thicker and yellow. The quality of the cough changes, you can already hear that the patients cough differently. Then one should measure the fever. If there is an elevated temperature, one should examine the blood to determine whether it is a bacterial or viral infection. If a patient is carefully monitored and can interpret their own symptoms (sudden weakness, body aches, etc.) well, there is no need to fear that infections will be overlooked. Only if one ignores symptoms oneself or in the environment, will one be in danger, or if an infection develops very rapidly due to highly virulent germs.
Warm regards, Dr. Gehring
