Bronchiectasis (BE) is a chronic lung disease thought to result from chronic inflammation of the lower respiratory tract as a result of recurrent respiratory tract infections early in life. The prevalence of BE in Northern Territory children is disproportionately high compared with urban Australia.

There are 2 components of this project:

• Children undergoing bronchoscopy under anaesthetic for suspected BE are eligible. The project will compare the bacteria found in the lung with bacteria found in the upper airway to better understand the bacterial causes of BE in children. It will also investigate the antibiotic resistance of these organisms, particularly to azithromycin.
• The influence of long term azithromycin on nasopharyngeal respiratory bacteriology of Northern Territory children enrolled in the Multi-centre Bronchiectasis Study will also be investigated.

These studies will contribute to our understanding of the aetiology of BE and later influence the management of children with BE.