Factors Associated to the Presence of Pneumothorax in Cystic Fibrosis Patients in the City of Madrid

Background: To identify risk factors associated with pneumothorax and to determine the prognosis of cystic fibrosis patients following an episode of pneumothorax in the city of Madrid. Methods: Records of 17 patients (10 males; age 24.4 ± 17.5 years) and 32 controls, and a total of 44 pneumothorax episodes were studied. We have analyzed the characteristics of the pneumothorax, the microbiology, the lung function tests (LFT) and the prognosis of patients. Two controls with cystic fibrosis and without pneumothorax matched for sex and age were selected. Results: Eight male and three female patients with pneumothorax were older than 18 years. The mean age of the first pneumothorax episode was 18.3 years (±9.6). The group with pneumothorax had a mean body mass index of 19.2(±2.42 kg/m2) and in the control group it was 26.5 (±1.98 kg/m2). Pseudomonas aeruginosa was present in fourteen patients (82%) with pneumothorax and in eleven patients (34.4%) in the control group (p = 0.002). Pneumothorax predominantly occurred in the coldest seasons. There was a significant drop in both forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) after the pneumothorax. In the same way, FEV1 and FVC were greater in the control group. Six patients (35.4%) with pneumothorax and two patients in the control group have died (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Patients with pneumothorax are more likely to have P. aeruginosa colonization. LFT drop after an episode of pneumohorax. Patients with pneumothorax have worse LFT than patients without pneumothorax. Mortality is greater in patients with pneumothorax.