Uh Oh - tested positive for Haemophilus Influenzae - is this bad?

Very common pathogen and usually very treatable. Did the doctor do an antibiotic susceptibility testing to make sure you get treated with an antibiotic that will knock it out of you? Are you up to speed on airway clearance?

I am not sure if the antibiotic testing g was done. Is it a blood test?
I had a session on Wednesday to be shown how to use the Aerobika and the generic Symbicort. Started all that on thursday. Doc did not want me to start nebulizing yet (before the sputum test results came back - not sure if that makes a difference). Hopefully the Augmentin will knock this bug out and help the cough.

If the augmentin doesn't do it, there are other antibiotics to try with H. Influenza. The current strains in Minnesota have generally been susceptible to augmentin, so most doc try it first. If you are not improving after 72 hours on the meds, call the doctor back.

Thanks Sue. Should I expect the current cough I've had for a few months to improve?

A culture is usually done on sputum to identify the pathogen and the sensitivity is done on same specimen to see which antibiotic will kill the organism.

The bronchiectasis can cause a cough because we have a harder time getting the sputum out and the body keeps trying. It's why we do airway clearance. The H. flu can certainly make coughing worse and once treated makes most people better. As Sue said, if you don't improve, call doc so antibiotics can be adjusted. Good luck to you.

Very good. Thanks for the info. Took the first pill (huge!) with breakfast. 1 down 27 to go LOL.

The cough is a tough one - it depends what else you have in your lungs. Whgen I last had H.I., I also had undiagnosed Pseudomonas and MAC, so the antibiotics got rid of the frver and chest pain, but didn't clear the cough.

One thing that can help is regular airway clearance to help expel the mucus, have you been taught about it?

Quick question, Sue. If your sputum showed HI how is it that it did not also show Pseudomonas? I can understand not detecting MAC since that takes longer. Won't a standard sputum culture show both Pseudomonas and HI?

Part of my appointment at the Mayo last week was some "education" time. They showed me how to use the Aerobika and albuterol/symbicort inhalers. So I have started that plus I walk briskly for 2.5 miles each morning. Doc said hold off on the nebulizing for now. Maybe waiting to see what else the sputum sample shows up? I feel quite well other than the daily coughing.

My sputum cultures after a bronchoscopy (I didn't yet know how to get a good sputum specimen) first showed H-influenza (too numerous to count), and I was prescribed doxycycline for 10 days with immediate results. Several weeks later the culture revealed MAC, which I have been dealing with, but the results of the antibiotic were such a dramatic and welcome relief—much less coughing and fatigue. I wish you well in your treatment.
Anna