Did you know that over time, chronic inflammation and infection damage the airways permanently, causing irreversible widening and scarring called bronchiectasis (which may require a CT scan of the lungs to ybe seen). By adulthood, nearly every person with PCD will have bronchiectasis. As bronchiectasis progresses, infections worsen and can sometimes lead to respiratory failure. Some people with PCD may need lung transplantation if their lungs fail. (For more information, see ATS Patient Information Series Bronchiectasis at www.thoracic.org/patients) There is currently no cure for PCD, but there are several promising medical treatments that may slow its progress. While quality of life can be severely affected for people with PCD, there is a wide range of disease progression and long-term outlook in patients, and there is no average “life expectancy.
The more you know…
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***Please speak to your respiratory therapist or your PCD medical team before commencing any new treatment. DO NOT start using a device, or technique, on this website if you have not discussed this with your PCD team first.***
