TY - JOUR T1 - Reducing the frequency of respiratory tract infections in severe neurological disorders by inhaled antibiotics: a retrospective data analysis JF - ERJ Open Research JO - erjor DO - 10.1183/23120541.00149-2018 VL - 5 IS - 3 SP - 00149-2018 AU - Maximilian Eckerland AU - Claudia Bock AU - Margarete Olivier AU - Leopold Pichlmaier AU - Mathis Steindor AU - Florian Stehling Y1 - 2019/07/01 UR - http://openres.ersjournals.com/content/5/3/00149-2018.abstract N2 - Background In patients with severe neurological impairment, recurrent respiratory tract infections frequently occur as a result of impaired clearance of airway secretions and microbial airway colonisation. We hypothesised that inhaled antibiotic therapy may improve the morbidity of these patients.Methods A retrospective data analysis of 20 patients (11 nontracheotomised and nine tracheotomised) with neurological impairment and microbial airway colonisation was carried out at a children's university hospital. Two questionnaires that asked about the number of respiratory tract infections, antibiotic therapies and hospitalisations were distributed to the patients/caregivers: a first questionnaire representing the 12 months prior to the initiation of inhaled antibiotics and a second questionnaire describing the first 12 months under therapy.Results During the first 12 months of therapy, the frequency of respiratory tract infections among all participants was reduced from a mean of 6.8 episodes (median (interquartile range (IQR)) 6.0 (4.0–10.0) episodes) to a mean of 2.5 episodes (median (IQR) 2.0 (1.0–3.0) episodes; p<0.001). In addition, a significant decrease of systemic antibiotic therapies (mean 7.7, median (IQR) 6.0 (4.0–10.0) versus 2.5, 2.5 (0.0–3.75) episodes; p<0.001) and hospitalisations (mean 3.9, median (IQR) 3.5 (1.0–5.0) versus 0.9, 0.0 (0.0–1.0) episodes; p<0.001) was noted. This significant therapeutic effect could be demonstrated in a subgroup analysis in both tracheotomised and nontracheotomised subjects. The reduction of respiratory tract infections and systemic antibiotic therapies (and thus the therapeutic success) was significantly greater in the nontracheotomised group compared with the tracheotomised group.Conclusions The presented data suggest that inhaled antibiotics might play a role in treating recurrent respiratory tract infections in neuromuscular diseases.Inhaled antibiotic therapy offers a novel approach to the prevention of respiratory tract infections in patients with severe neurological impairment who have chronic microbial airway colonisation and recurrent respiratory tract infections http://bit.ly/2HQRyz0 ER -