Pyo

Question

What does Pyo mean?

Answer

Hello,
Patients, families and professionals often use in everyday life the term "Pyo" to speak about Pyocyanic bacillus. This name comes from the fact that it causes infections producing pus (pyo) of bluish color (cyanic). The scientific name is "Pseudomonas": it actually refers to a family of germs with hundred species, especially the most frequent specie: "Pseudomonas aeruginosa".

This "Pyo" is a common germ of the environment that develops especially in wet areas and stagnant water. If it does not present any danger to healthy people it can cause infection when there is a fragility of the body such as a skin lesion (after a burn, for example) or if the respiratory mucosa has been damaged by an underlying disease such as cystic fibrosis.

The mucus which covers different mucous membranes acts as a protective lubricant. His abnormally viscosity in cystic fibrosis is responsible for various symptoms, especially sinus and bronchial congestion that promotes the development of germs and infections. These infections (also called "respiratory exacerbations") can cause irreversible damage if they are not detected and treated early with adapted antibiotics. It is therefore important:
• first, to teach patients (and parents) to detect the warning signs: do not hesitate to ask your CF doctor if you can participate in therapeutic education sessions on this topic;
• second, to take samples of respiratory secretions, at each CF Center visit and in case suggestive symptoms of respiratory exacerbation (cough, sputum changes, decreased appetite, fever, fatigue ...).

Hope to have answered your question.
With my best wishes for the new year.

Gilles RAULT, MD, Roscoff CF Center
and Genevieve HERY-ARNAUD, Microbiologist, Brest University Hospital

13.03.2015