부산대학교 도서관

Background. Although the detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) is one of the risk factors for a poor prognosis in airway diseases, the detection rate, characteristics of patients, and risk factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who present with airway diseases still remain unclear. Methods. We retrospectively analyzed the bacteriological findings of bronchial lavage fluid collected by flexible bronchoscopy in 56 patients with RA who demonstrated airway diseases on chest computed tomography (CT). We also assessed the characteristics and risk factors associated with the detection of P. aeruginosa. Results. P. aeruginosa was the most frequently detected bacterial species in RA patients with airway diseases (12 cases, 21.4%). The Steinbrocker Class was higher and the history of receiving antibiotics within the previous 3 months more frequent in with P. aeruginosa patients than in without P. aeruginosa. In addition, both bronchiectasis and centrilobular nodules on chest CT were seen in all patients with P. aeruginosa. Conclusion. These findings suggest that P. aeruginosa is frequently detected in RA patients with airway diseases. Since the detection of P. aeruginosa is a risk factor for either pneumonia or poor prognosis in other airway diseases, careful attention to the presence of P. aeruginosa is therefore required in RA patients with airway diseases, especially in those with a higher Steinbrocker Class, a more frequent history of receiving antibiotics, and both bronchiectasis and centrilobular nodules on chest CT.