Bronchiectasis diagnosed with staphylococcus aureus

[grandadjgg]

Just had results of septum test back with above infection prescribed clindamycin for this but I am a tad worried can this infection be passed on, also due to go on holiday in 2 weeks don't feel unwell just coughing any help would be appreciated

[Hidden]

Hi grandadjgg. Staphyloccocus aureus is a fairly uncommon bacteria to cause a bronchiectasis exacerbation. Most people with bronch tend to be battling haemophylus or pseudomonas auriginosa. SA. is usually aquired through cuts in the skin and in places such as hospitals. MRSA is the superbug version.

There is a common misconception that bronchs can pass on the bacteria which has been found in their lungs. If you read the literature you will find that this is not true. On the contrary, we are the people who are at risk from other people’s bugs and airborne bacteria in places which breed and harbour these organisms.

I have had bronch since I was three and I am 68 now. I have been colonised with pseudomonas since 1986. I have never infected my family, my friends, my children or my work colleagues with any of the bacteria which plagued my damaged lungs and caused exacerbations.

Take your abs, make sure that you get rid of the mucus in your lungs so as to deprive the staph of its favourite breeding ground and, as long as you feel well, go and enjoy your holiday.

It may be worth while discussing with your doc whether it would be a good idea to take more of the abs away with you to cover you if you need them.

I hope that helped.

[Badbessie in reply to Hidden]

Excellent advice Littlepom. Concise and reassuring.

[Hidden in reply to Badbessie]

Thankyou Badbessie.

[grandadjgg in reply to Hidden]

Thank you so much yes Dr has prescribed me ab and steroids to take with me hopefully this antibiotic I have started today will clear it I have had Bronchiectasis since I was 4 I am now 72 not stopped me doing much apart from when I get an Infection so onwards upwards and looking forward to my travels

[santisuk in reply to Hidden]

That's consistent with my Papworth bronchX consultant's response Littlepom. I asked a couple of years ago, being a couple of years after diagnosis why it was that I did not seem to pass any of my infections to the family, notwithstanding that my 8 year old does seem to catch anything that's going to lungs at her school. She said that it is true that lung infections that come with bronchX are not typically transmitted onwards. I think she implied that the reasons for this state of affairs are not fully understood, but I may be wrong in that particular aspect of recollection.

Maybe we are more special than we know and eventually medical research will identify some agent that has much wider beneficial application to the population?!

[Hidden in reply to santisuk]

Until recently there had been no research into this but first hand evidence indicated that bronchs did not pass infections from their lungs to other people, including other bronch sufferers.

Earlier this year the results of the first clinical study confirmed this to be the case.

I think the confusion comes from the fact that studies have shown that some cystic fibrosis patients can pass a particular strain of pseudomonas between themselves. Their lung damage and the type of mucus that they produce is very different to ours.

Of course, we can always pass on a virus but we are still more vulnerable to infection from others than they are from us, probably because when someone has kindly donated a virus to us we stay at home whereas they go spreading it in their coughs and sneezes.

Stay well!