pseudomonas

Question

I read one question posted here and it describes the condition of my child to the letter. My child is negative in all pharyngeal tests, except the summer ones, july +, august - (with treatment), with treatment negative tests (july-february), but in july positive. Does that mean permanent pseudomonas and has the lung damage already begun? If I understood correctly, do these children have more frequent colonization as they grow up, although they are more responsible than a 2.5=3 years old child?

Answer

Dear friend,
The colonization with pseudomonas in CF patients is affected by the climatic conditions and the seasons according to recent analyses in the USA (Poster, NAFC 2012). The frequency of pseudomonas in the USA was higher in spring and summer and lower in autumn and winter, something that contradicts earlier opinions (Johanssen Hoiby 1992), according to which pseudomonas was more frequent during the winter when infections are more frequent as a whole.
These differences are not noted in dry climates, and it has been observed that pseudomonas is more frequent in hot climates (Collaco PLoS ONE, 2011). The above does not mean that pseudomonas does not appear in all climates and in all seasons.
In neonates with CF after the birth the lungs are normal, but gradually the infections and the inflammation inflict gradual damage to the lung, and so the colonization with pseudomonas is more frequent with the progression of age.

Yours friendly,
Dr. Stavros Doudounakis

14.01.2013