pseudomonas and chronic sinus

[CINDY4]

My daughter who has been sick for years has just been diagnosed a month ago with pseudomonas.  She took Cipro for 14 days and still has same complaints.  She also has constant sinus infection, after 2 surgeries and a solid year of antibiotic treatment.  They just did a new culture last week and the gram stain still showed a lot of bacteria but the culture was normal(this was while on Cipro).  She has been off Cipro for about 8 days now, and another culure was done 2 days ago that again the gram stain showed alot but the culture so far is normal.  Her treating dr is out of town, but another dr has told me the gram stain shows alot of bacteria and she doubts the pseudomonas is gone.  That coupled with the constant sinus, she advises a long course of IV antibiotic, to be started ASAP. Can this wait until he returns?  I know pseudomonas is a very serious infection, that is very hard to get rid of.  What does it mean for the gram stains to show so much bacteria and the culture not?  Thanks!

[National Jewish]

Since the gram stain showed a lot of pseudomonas but the culture was normal, perhaps there were "dead" or "sleeping" bacteria left over from the prior course of Cipro® (ciprofloxacin).  If traveling to Denver, Colorado is feasible, National Jewish Medical and Research Center will provide a thorough outpatient evaluation of your daughter’s recurrent infections.  Our approach uses the skills and expertise of a broad team working together from one location to try to reveal the best approach to treating your daughter’s problem so that you can both get on with your lives.  For more information please call our Mycoconsults Line at 1 [phone] x1353 to speak with one of our nurses.

[CINDY4]

In follow-up to my question, her dr is back in town.  He did another culture, and yet another since.  They both show positive gram stains with bacteria, and polys, and white bllod cells.  But the cultures are still not growing anything.  He said he is not sure why the cultures are not growing anything, but that she must still have infection with the gram stains showing so much bacteria.  Can you tell me if the infections could possibly be cleared up since the cultures are not growing anything, and only the gram stains are showing something?

[Mateo]

I too suffered from this serious infection in my sinus, and was treated at the Cleveland Clinic; this when nobody locally could correctly diagnsoe me or eradicated the infection.  There, I was given an IV drug, but one that is mixed into saline and simply irrigated up the nose three times a day for three weeks.  There was an article about this and I understand that the Clinic routinely prescribes this drug (Fortaz) 3ml into 300 ml of Saline.  Probably worth the trip, they are excellent!

[smgail]

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[hewber]

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[Bobbie1946]

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