Sinus colonizations

[anonymous]

I feel a little stupid and a little uninformed. Do most people who have germs colonized in the lungs also have the same in their sinuses? Did your clinic automatically culture your sinuses, or just when you had symptoms (infections)? No one ever told us CF'ers should be careful to stay away from their own junk they cough up, the garbage, etc. I guess that was a no brainer, but feeling like I don't have one right now. No sinus infections - just concerned about the possibility... or probability. Thanks.

 

[anonymous]

I recently had a sinus edoscopy where they cleaned out my sinuses and made better openings for drainage. When they cultured the stuff that was in my sinuses, it turned out that i had psedamonas (sp) in my head as well as my lungs. Interestingly, however, the bacteria in my lungs is sensitive to tobramyacin, but the bacteria in my sinuses was not.

So after months and months of being treated with tobramyacin for lung infections and subsequently treating the bacteria in my sinuses, my sinuses were the same and i ended up needing that sinus surgery.

I think for the most part the clinic wouldn't culture your sinuses unless you didn't respond to antibiotics, like in my case.