Microbiology in Swedish patients with bronchiectasis and comorbid airway disease: Data from a tertiary European Bronchiectasis registry (EMBARC) center.

<bold>Background</bold> The microbiology in bronchiectasis (B) varies among countries, possibly due to differences in antibiotic consumption and comorbid airway disease (CAD). Sweden stands out in terms of low use of antibiotics. <bold>Aims</bold> To characterize airway bacteria and CAD among B patients in Sweden. <bold>Methods</bold> We recorded results from Swedish B patients (pts) recruited to the EMBARC registry, including CAD diagnosis and sputum culture samples obtained in stable disease and during exacerbation for 12 months. <bold>Results</bold> A total of 119 pts (mean 64 years, 81% females) were included, with 49,6% having CAD (28,6% COPD, 16,8% Asthma, and 4,2% both). Moreover, 80 of 103 pts left one sputum sample, with the main results shown in Figure 1. B pts with CAD tended to have more isolated pathogens vs. those without (66.67 % vs. 52.27 %). The two main pathogens, P. aeruginosa (PA) and H. influenzae (HF) were equally represented (50%) in B pts without CAD, while in B pts with CAD, PA more common than HF (76.47 % vs. 23.53%). Finally, HF dominated in pts with asthma (60% vs 40%), while all pts with COPD had PA (p=0.022, Fisher´s exact test). <bold>Conclusion</bold> In Swedish pts with bronchiectasis, PA and HF are the two dominant pathogens, resembling what has been reported from Europe. However, the prevalence of the respective pathogens may relate to the specific comorbid airway disease. <fig><object-id>erj;64/suppl_68/PA4192/F1</object-id><object-id>F1</object-id><object-id>F1</object-id><graphic></graphic></fig>