Introduction and Objectives A longitudinal microbiologic profile in adults with non-CF bronchiectasis (nCF-Br) is helpful in directing appropriate antibiotic therapy and may also have implications for prognosis. Information in this area is scarce with limited published data and small sample sizes of available studies. We have looked at longitudinal records from a group of nCF-Br patients attending a specialist clinic.

Methods All available sputum microbiology results for patients over a 5-year period were analysed.

Results 158 patients, average age 64.5 years (range 18–87 years), 58M:100F, had 2 or more samples available for analysis. The majority (149 (94.3%)) of these had a HRCT diagnosis. 23 (14.6%) of the 158 patients cultured no organisms. Abstract S105 table 1 shows the distribution of organisms found colonising the remaining 141 patients. In a subset of 72 patients with =6 samples taken over an average period of 2.7 (SD 1.0) years, 2 (2.8%) grew no organisms, 17 (23.6%) grew a single organism, 21 (29.2%) grew two, 14 (19.4%) grew three, 18 (25%) grew four or more different organisms on different occasions. Of the 806 samples analysed in this subset of patients, the majority grew single organisms, 83 (10.3%) reported 2 or more isolates. Among 46 of these 72 in whom Pseudomonas spp. was isolated, the initial isolate was followed by persistent colonisation in 30 (65.2%).

Conclusions The distribution of colonising pathogens among our larger patient group is similar to those found in other studies. We have shown a higher degree of variation in organisms found over time than has been previously shown.1