| Abstract [eng] |
Bronchiectasis is a chronic respiratory disease characterised by radiologically observed irreversible abnormal dilatation of the bronchial lumen, and clinically manifested episodes of persistent cough, sputum production and recurrent respiratory tract infections. In recent decades, the incidence and prevalence of bronchiectasis has been significantly increasing worldwide. The aim of this work is to review the etiology, clinical manifestation, diagnostics, and management of this disease, based on scientific literature data; also, clinical case of bronchiectasis is presented and discussed. Bronchiectasis is characterized by wide variety of possible causes, but the most common are idiopathic, post-infectious and bronchiectasis caused by chronic inflammatory respiratory diseases. The diagnosis is confirmed by the detection of typical changes of bronchiectasis in the computed tomography images of the chest performed in a patient who constantly or frequently coughs, expectorates or suffers from recurrent respiratory infections. Management of bronchiectasis is based on prompt and appropriate antibacterial treatment of exacerbations and their prevention, which is ensured by treatment of the cause of bronchiectasis, vaccination against influenza, pneumococcal and COVID-19 infections, maintenance of normal body weight, adherence to smoking cessation recommendations and the use of airway clearance techniques. In case of frequent exacerbations, the addition of long-term mucoactive drugs, inhaled antibiotics, oral macrolides or their combination to the treatment plan is considered. Naturally, bronchiectasis tends to progress, worsen the quality of life, prognosis, and increase the risk of complications, so adherence to the optimal treatment plan and regular monitoring of the patient’s state are particularly important in the process of disease management. |
