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Bronchiectasis - Management
How do I know my patient has an infective exacerbation of bronchiectasis?
- Diagnose an infective exacerbation of bronchiectasis requiring antibiotic therapy when there is:
- Acute deterioration (usually over several days), with worsening cough (with increased sputum volume, viscosity, or purulence; with or without increasing wheeze, breathlessness, or haemoptysis) and/or systemic upset.
- The presence of mucopurulent or purulent sputum alone, or the isolation of a pathogen alone, without a deterioration in symptoms is not necessarily an indication for antibiotic treatment, particularly in adults.
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