CF, COPD, and Bronchiectasis

ponytails

New member
Just wondering how much of a threat is it for people with cf to be around others with either copd or bronchiectasis? You always hear about people with cf having to stay away from each other, but why is it not mentioned about copd and bronchiectasis? They all have the potential to harbor the same bacterias and with the other 2 being so much more prevalent than cf, its been on my mind..... Thoughts on this?
 

Melissa75

Administrator
As a person with non-CF bronchiectasis, when I went to a CF center, I didn't see any other patients the whole time I was there. At pulmonologist offices, I'm not separated in the waiting area from people who clearly have COPD, nor does the room I'm seen in undergo any special cleaning process apart from changing that paper on the exam table. At the hospital, when I've said I'm coughing up blood, they keep me away from all people (pretty sure that is a TB concern). Then I elaborate on the things I've grown in the past, and I'm kept solo even when the hemoptysis stops.

IMO someone with CF is at risk being near someone with bronchiectasis because most people with bronchiectasis culture bacteria in their sputum. In contrast, I believe a decent portion of people with emphysema-type COPD or even chronic bronchitis don't have chronic bacterial infections, so CFers are probably less at risk from them, but I wouldn't risk it. At least one study says that 50% of COPDers have bronchiectasis too.

On the flip side, someone with bronchiectasis is also at risk being near someone with CF because, like people with CF, the damaged parts of their lungs can't clear mucus/bacteria. I don't think the bronch mucus is the same stickiness as CF mucus, but the stretched out, goo-filled airways are still infection breeding grounds. And if the person's bronchiectasis were caused by an immune-deficiency, they might be at very high risk from everyone.

Based on how I'm handled in non-CF doctors' offices, I think the cross-infection risk between between people with non-CF bronchiectasis and COPD isn't considered high. Just my observation...

Here are the stats (approx) for the US:
---COPD 12.7 million
---Non-CF bronchiectasis 110,000
---CF 30,000

I learned in looking this up that you're not very likely to come across a person with non-CF bronch who is under the age of 70. The prevalence is heavily weighted toward the older population. (Age spread on third page of this http://www.thoracic.org/education/breathing-in-america/resources/chapter-4-bronchiectasis.pdf )
 
Top