Vol. 6, Issue 1, Part A (2024)

Background: Complex respiratory condition bronchiectasis causes irreversible, permanent bronchial wall dilatation due to several aetiologies. It causes frequent cough, persistent sputum production, and recurrent respiratory tract infections. Geographic variation is seen in stable and exacerbating pathogens. The aims of this study are to gain knowledge about bronchiectasis, determine common respiratory pathogens and their associations with disease severity, and identify clinical and radiological predictors for each pathogen to facilitate targeted antimicrobial therapy and reduce antimicrobial resistance.

Method: This prospective cross-sectional investigation comprised 79 bronchiectasis patients with a compatible history and HRCT evidence of bronchial dilatation. Between May 2023 and March 2024, Baghdad teaching hospital's respiratory consultant (Clinic) and Al-Dowaly private hospital performed a prospective research. All patients had clinical, radiological, pulmonary function, and sputum gramme stain and culture testing.

Results: This study included 79 bronchiectasis patients (mean age 44.5 ± 17.7 years), with a higher prevalence and severity in females. Chronic productive cough was universal, with dyspnea (64%) and fever (44%) also common. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most frequent pathogen, associated with more extensive disease and worse FEV1.

Conclusion: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most prevalent and serious respiratory infection in bronchiectasis. Although these findings were from a small cohort, several pathogen features might indicate the probable infection before the culture result to help patients pick suitable antibiotic medication. This topic warrants further study.