Serum Bactericidal Test as a Prognostic Indicator in Acute Pulmonary Exacerbations of Cystic Fibrosis

The serum bactericidal test has been used for many years for optimal assessment of the efficacy of antibiotic therapy in patients with infective endocarditis and other bacterial infections. Its capacity to predict the bacteriological outcome of acute pulmonary exacerbations in patients with cystic fibrosis was evaluated. A total of 54 courses of intravenous antibiotic therapy were analyzed in 22 patients, whose ages ranged from 4 months to 24 years (mean age: 10 years). The serum bhactericidal activity of blood samples, taken at expected peak and trough antibiotic levels on day 4 of therapy, were determined against the potentially pathogenic strains isolated in sputum at the time adminission