Bronchiectasis
This is a condition of the respiratory system wherein there is a permanent dilatation of one or more bronchi. The basic cause of bronchiectasis is weakness of the bronchial wall.
It is being classified into:
1. Cylindrical or tubular
2. Fusiform
3. Saccular
The congenital and hereditary factors may include the following:
- Bronchomalacia
- congenital dextrocardia
- immunodeficiency states
- mucoviscidosis
The acquired forms are more frequent and may be due to necrotizing inflammation of the bronchial mucosa as in pneumonias particularly as complications from measles, pertussis, influenza, endobronchial tuberculosis, respiratory syncitial infections and hydrocarbon aspiration.
Bronchography helps in the diagnosis of bronchiectasis. However, it is being suspected in patients with recurrent or persistent pneumonias especially when the expectoration is quite copious.
The treatment of this condition depends upon the underlying systemic disease. The basic management consists of antibiotic therapy and postural drainage. This is one condition that shows how important is primary prevention. As being mentioned above that pneumonia, measles, pertussis, influenza and tuberculosis are contributing factors and these are all vaccine preventable diseases.
So, love yourself, love your family. Get a vaccine because as one physician stated, Dr. Josh Jalad and I quote, “immunity is community”.