Health Topics A-Z | Exhaled breath condensate pH and ammonia in cystic fibrosis and response to treatment of acute pulmonary exacerbations

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Exhaled breath condensate pH and ammonia in cystic fibrosis and response to treatment of acute pulmonary exacerbations

Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) pH reflects the acid-base homeostasis of the airway lining fluid and is up to 3 log order lower in various inflammatory lung diseases including asthma, COPD, bronchiectasis, and cystic fibrosis (CF) than in normal controls. The aim of this study was to confirm this finding in CF and determine if there was a significant change in EBC pH after treatment of an acute pulmonary exacerbation. Ten subjects with CF and a pulmonary exacerbation, and 10 healthy age-matched control subjects were studied. EBC was collected at the onset of an acute pulmonary exacerbation and after treatment with intravenous antibiotics (median duration: 14 days (interquartile range, IQR): 12-14) when the exacerbation was considered resolved. The median age for CF patients was 15.9 years ...