BJBS Article :: Long-term antibiotic treatment of patients with cystic fibrosis: a commensal organism’s view

Long-term antibiotic treatment of patients with cystic fibrosis: a commensal organism’s view

IN BRIEF: Br J Biomed Sci 2009; 66(4); 203-205

J. E. Moore^§, Y. Maeda^‡, B. C. Millar^§, C E Goldsmith, WA Coulter^†, CK Mason^#, JS Elborn^*

^*Dept of Respiratory Medicine, The Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast City Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland
^†School of Dentistry, Queen's University, The Royal Group of Hospitals, Belfast, Northern Ireland
^‡Northern Ireland Public Health Laboratory, Department of Bacteriology, Belfast City Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland
^#Oral Science Research Centre, School of Dentistry, Queen's University, Royal Group of Hospitals, Northern Ireland
^§Department of Bacteriology,Northern Ireland Public Health Laboratory, Belfast City Hospital, Belfast BT9 7AD

KEY WORDS:

The long-term use of several classes of antibiotic agent for the prophylaxis, maintenance and treatment of bacterial respiratory pathogens causing chronic chest infections in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) has important consequences for the persistence of commensal flora of the treated patient. In order to survive, such commensal organisms must evolve resistance mechanisms in response to the chronic use of these antibiotic agents. What is not known at present is which resistant mechanisms commensal organisms use, and are these mechanisms potentially transferable to hitherto sensitive pathogens? Therefore, antibiotic resistance in the commensal flora of CF patients may be an important reservoir of genetic material for exacerbating antibiotic resistance in CF pathogens, and this area requires urgent investigation.

[Contd]

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