ABSTRACT
People with cystic fibrosis (CF) are highly susceptible to bacterial infections of the airways. By adulthood, chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) is the most prevalent infective organism and is difficult to eradicate owing to its adaptation to the CF lung microenvironment. Long-term suppressive treatment with inhaled antimicrobials is the standard care for reducing exacerbation frequency, improving quality of life and increasing measures of lung function. Levofloxacin (a fluoroquinolone antimicrobial) has been approved as an inhaled solution in Europe and Canada, for the treatment of adults with CF with chronic P. aeruginosa pulmonary infections. Here, we review the clinical principles relating to the use of inhaled antimicrobials and inhaled levofloxacin for the management of P. aeruginosa infections in patients with CF.
Subject(s)
Cystic Fibrosis , Levofloxacin/therapeutic use , Pseudomonas Infections , Administration, Inhalation , Cystic Fibrosis/complications , Cystic Fibrosis/drug therapy , Humans , Persistent Infection/drug therapy , Pseudomonas Infections/drug therapy , Quality of LifeSubject(s)
Chronic Disease/therapy , Cystic Fibrosis/complications , Drug Resistance, Bacterial/drug effects , Respiratory Tract Infections , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Antimicrobial Stewardship/methods , Antimicrobial Stewardship/organization & administration , Humans , Microbial Sensitivity Tests/methods , Respiratory Tract Infections/drug therapy , Respiratory Tract Infections/etiology , Respiratory Tract Infections/microbiology , Respiratory Tract Infections/physiopathologyABSTRACT
Since the discovery of the gene associated with cystic fibrosis (CF), there has been tremendous progress in the care of patients with this disease. New therapies have entered the market and are part of the standard treatment of patients with CF, and have been associated with marked improvement in survival. Now there are even more promising therapies directed at different components of the pathophysiology of this disease. In this review, our current knowledge of the pathophysiology of lung disease in patients with CF is described, along with the current treatment of CF lung disease, and the therapies in development that offer great promise to our patients.
