A PRELIMINARY-STUDY ON THE EFFECT OF ANTIINFLAMMATORY TREATMENT IN CYSTIC-FIBROSIS PATIENTS WITH PSEUDOMONAS-AERUGINOSA LUNG INFECTION

The effect of anti-inflammatory treatment on morbidity and lung deterioration was assessed in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study on 41 cystic fibrosis patients with chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. Patients aged 5 to 37 years, were treated for 12-19 months with piroxicam, at doses from 5 to 20 mg/day according to each patient's weight. Eight patients did not complete the study for diverse reasons. Fifteen of 17 patients taking placebo had decreased respiratory function status by the end of the study while 9 of 16 patients under piroxicam treatment retained their baseline values or improved their respiratory status. Piroxicam-treated patients required less hospitalization (192 d) than those receiving placebo (301 d). A long-term, large scale study would now be required to confirm the results of this preliminary investigation and to establish the significance of anti-inflammatory treatment with cyclooxgenase inhibitors to prevent lung tissue damage in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and Gram-negative pulmonary infection.