Persistency of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in sputum cultures and clinical outcomes in adult patients with cystic fibrosis.

Our objective was to describe the natural history of infection with transmissible and unique strains of P. aeruginosa (PA) in adult CF patients and to determine if clearance of PA from sputum was associated with an improvement in clinical status. This was a 3-year prospective cohort study of adult patients with CF.

Infection with transmissible strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and clinical outcomes in adults with cystic fibrosis.

Context: Studies from Australia and the United Kingdom have shown that some patients with cystic fibrosis are infected with common transmissible strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence and incidence of infection with transmissible strains of P. aeruginosa and whether presence of the organism was associated with adverse clinical outcomes in Canada.

Characterization of clonal strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from cystic fibrosis patients in Ontario, Canada.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that can form biofilms in the lungs and airways of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, resulting in chronic endobronchial infection. Two clonal strains of P. aeruginosa, named type A and type B, have recently been identified and have been found to infect more than 20% of CF patients in Ontario, Canada.