When to Suspect Bronchiectasis
Look deeper to see if it could be
bronchiectasis
See what’s inside with a CT scan.
In the United States, approximately 500,000 people are diagnosed with bronchiectasis, while research points to over 4 times that number of adults remaining undiagnosed1
Other comorbid respiratory diseases can mask bronchiectasis2:
Approximately 1 in 4 patients with COPD may have bronchiectasis3-5,a
Approximately 1 in 3 patients with asthma may have bronchiectasis6,b
footnoteaRange: 20%-69%.3,4
footnotebRange: 2%-47%.6
It is critical to identify bronchiectasis, as diagnostic delays are common in patients with bronchiectasis and can lead to poorer outcomes.7-9
Early diagnosis and adequate management of bronchiectasis may help delay disease progression10
Registry and observational data indicate that patients see on average a 7.4-year delay in their bronchiectasis diagnosis from symptom onset.7,11-13
Patients with comorbid bronchiectasis and other respiratory conditions can experience8,9,14:
Poorer outcomes
Increased all-cause mortality
Longer hospital stays
Considerations for uncontrolled COPD
Current clinical practice guidelines for COPD include recommendations for diagnostic imaging when bronchiectasis is suspected.15
For patients with COPD
Consider CT imaging in patients with COPD who experience exacerbations repeatedly characterized by purulent sputum15
For patients with unresolved respiratory symptoms, a CT scan may confirm a bronchiectasis diagnosis.15-17
Recognize the signs?
Take actionCT=computed tomography.