RESTING ENERGY-EXPENDITURE BEFORE AND AFTER TREATMENT FOR PSEUDOMONAS-AERUGINOSA INFECTION IN PATIENTS WITH CYSTIC-FIBROSIS

To investigate whether metabolic rates change after antipseudomonal tr eatment, resting energy expenditure (REE) was measured in 29 patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) aged 5-27 y before and after a 2-wk course o f intravenous antibiotics for the treatment of chronic Pseudomonas aer uginosa infection. Before therapy, mean (+/- SD) REE was increased to 119.0 +/- 11.4% of the predicted normal value (REE%). Seventeen of the 29 patients were classified as having increased baseline REE% (> 115% of predicted, group 1), whereas 12 patients had resting energy expend itures within the normal range (group N). After antipseudomonal therap y, mean REE% decreased significantly by 6.2% of predicted. This declin e was negatively correlated with the baseline REE% (r = 0.70, P < 0.00 1). It was most pronounced (-11.3%) in group I whereas patients of gro up N showed no major changes. These results suggest that antipseudomon al therapy can reduce increased energy requirements of moderately ill CF patients with chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection.