Pseudomonas fluorescens

Question

Dear expert team!

The last throat culture test that my son underwent showed the presence of Pseudomonas fluorescens for the first time. Lung function was very well (at least the best out of the last five) and he is doing well. A while ago he had an infection.
Now he is supposed to take ciprofloxacine and inhale 300mg tobramycine according to the Danish model. After four weeks another throat culture test will be done. My question is: What kind of germ is this and what does this mean regarding the prognosis? Unfortunately I only found very little information in other fora.

Answer

Dear questioner!

You report that Pseudomonas fluorescens has been detected in your son. This germ belongs to the same group like Pseudomonas aeruginosa which CF patients are frightened of. However, the laboratory can differentiate properly between Pseudomonas fluorescens and Pseudomonas aeruginosa; only in case the germ is differentiated by an automate, a misclassification of P. aeruginosa as a P. fluorescens is possible. Therefore it makes sense to control the finding of P. fluorescens 2-4 weeks after the first finding. So far it has not been described that Pseudomonas fluorescens causes worsening of the lung function. It has not been found either that lungs of CF patients are colonised chronically with Pseudomonas fluorescens. Probably, the therapy is a measure of precaution.

I hope to have been helpful with this information.

Please see even more information under "Topics", "microbiology" and "Pseudomonas fluorescens".
Barbara Kahl

29.01.2010