A. Munck et al., Genotypic characterization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains recovered from patients with cystic fibrosis after initial and subsequent colonization, PEDIAT PULM, 32(4), 2001, pp. 288-292
Chronic infection by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) in patients with cystic fi
brosis (CF) is preceded by a period of colonization and acute infection. Ea
rly aggressive antibiotic treatment of initial colonisation may prevent or
at least delay chronic pulmonary infection. We initiated treatment with a c
ombination of IV beta -lactam tobramycin, followed by nebulized colistin wh
en PA was first isolated from patients with CF. Subsequent serial PA isolat
es obtained from these colonized CF patients were characterized by means of
molecular methods to determine whether they were genetically related to th
e initial strain.
Initial colonization was eradicated in all 19 patients. All patients reacqu
ired PA within 3-25 months during the 3 years of follow-up. Fourteen patien
ts acquired a new PA strain with a distinct genotypic profile, suggesting a
new source of contamination. Five patients had two PA isolates with identi
cal genotypes, suggesting either previous undetected respiratory tract colo
nization or a persistent environmental source of contamination. (C) 2001 Wi
ley-Liss, Inc.