Sputum Test

[LottieB36]

Hi - I have had a previous pseudomonas infection which was treated with nebulised colomycin for 6 months. I had a negative sputum sample and stopped the treatment. I’ve just had the results of a sputum culture which has come back saying gram negative bacillus - culture likely to be colonisers only - does this mean I need any further treatment?

[Hidden]

Hello Lottie. The idea of nebulised antibiotic is to keep the pseudomonas numbers down low enough that you can be well and have a normal life. A negative lab test does not mean that there is no pseudo there but that the numbers are so low that they don't show. Lab tests are notoriously inaccurate and not sensitive enough to pick up very small numbers.Stopping the nebulised antibiotic has allowed the bugs to have a party and begin increasing again. I don't know which lung condition you have but I do think that you should be talking to your consultant to start nebulising again befire it reaches the stage that the pseudo gets worse and you need oral or IV antibiotics.

[LottieB36 in reply to Hidden]

thank you, I’ve got brittle asthma, addison’s disease, lupus SLE, allergies and a number of other conditions. I have a history of repeated chest infections, sinusitis, ear infections and tonsillitis with low antibodies to pneumococcal when investigated by immunology. I’ll get in touch with my consultant tomorrow - thank you

[Hidden in reply to LottieB36]

With your history of asthma and infections it would probably be a good idea to be seen by a bronchiectasis specialist as it can develop from those conditions and if so you will need a consultant who is expert at managing it. Good luck. I hope that it all works out.

[LottieB36 in reply to Hidden]

thank you, I’ll speak to my GP about a referral as I know my resp consultant is asthma/sleep apnea

[Hidden in reply to LottieB36]

Jolly good. These expert consultants often work in cooperation with each other.