Aims to determine whether regular antibiotics delivered into the vein can help improve patients with very severe bronchiectasis.
Key Conclusions: We found that regular antibiotics delivered into the veins given every eight weeks over one year made people feel better and reduced the amount of antibiotics needed.
Patient Implications: Regular antibiotics delivered into the veins given every eight weeks is a therapy that can make patients feel better in those with very advanced bronchiectasis that suffer recurrent chest infections. When people need antibiotics so often we often use a midline (picture above) or a portacatheter (picture below). The midline stays in for the length of time you need the antibiotics and then is taken out but the portacatheter is kept in long term. This stops the need for venflons to be replaced every few days.
Reference: Quarterly Journal of Medicine 2013;106(1):27-33
Last Reviewed -13th January 2015