M started culturing PA 2 years ago, so I guess age 4. He's never not cultured it since that point. And, I wouldn't be surprised if he picked it up at his former CF clinic considering they didn't know what handwashing or gloves were.
He does Tobi every other month. And, when he got here, the first thing the Pulmo did was order 2 weeks of IV tobramycin with a second antibiotic. We'll see if that helped his cultures any. But, it certainly did help his lung functions.
PA is one of the nasty bugs that many CFers do eventually grow in their lungs. Its not a death sentence but it does indicate a progression of the disease process. TOBI has made great strides in combating PA and there are some studies out for even more effective options than TOBI alone right now. It just means another thing you've got to battle and another reminder that our kiddos don't have normal lungs.