Biomarkers in Bronchiectasis Exacerbation Assessment Trial
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Biomarkers in Bronchiectasis Exacerbation Assessment Trial
IRAS ID
312408
Contact name
Louise Anning
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Bronchiectasis is a long-term condition where the airways become abnormally widened leading to a build-up of excess mucus that can make the lungs more vulnerable to infection.
Exacerbations are a quick deterioration with worsening symptoms of cough, change in sputum volume, character or colour, increasing wheeze, breathlessness, haemoptysis (coughing up blood) and systemic upset or feeling generally unwell. With many different combinations of symptoms, they can be challenging to define and the cause of these episodes is not always clear. However, exacerbations are important because they make people feel unwell and if they occur frequently they are associated with worse outcome.
Treatment for exacerbations includes physiotherapy for sputum clearance, nutritional optimisation and supportive care with oxygen if required, as well as antibiotic or antimicrobial treatment. Antibiotic treatment of bronchiectasis exacerbations is burdensome for patients, and can involve intravenous antibiotic regimes which may require inpatient stays. This is resource-intensive on the healthcare system and has a significant impact on the patient.
Biomarkers are things that can be measured to give information about what is happening within the human body, and may be used to see how well someone responds to a treatment for a disease. However, there are currently no easily measurable biomarkers for bronchiectasis exacerbations.
A reliable biomarker that indicates when antibiotics are indicated and if there has been an effective response following treatment would potentially enable shorter antibiotic courses, or even avoiding them altogether when they are not necessary and investigating for alternative causes of symptoms.
Having improved accuracy of antibiotic use could reduce unnecessary treatment burden for patients and the healthcare system and also contribute to global efforts to improve antimicrobial stewardship and help reduce problems with resistant bacteria.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/YH/0032
Date of REC Opinion
28 Mar 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion