Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: Can Long Term Nebulised Gentamicin Reduce The Bacterial Burden, Break the Vicious Cycle of Inflammation and Improve Quality of Life in Patients With Bronchiectasis
Brief Summary: The hypothesis of this randomized placebo controlled trial is that targeted nebulized gentamicin to the airways will reduce bacterial burden and limit neutrophil airways inflammation. If given long term this will improve symptoms, pulmonary physiology, exercise capacity and health related quality of life with a reduction in exacerbation frequency and health care utilization.


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria:

* Have provided written informed consent to participate in the study in accordance with the local ethics committee regulations
* Have a confirmed diagnosis of bronchiectasis (by HRCT) Aged 18 years or over Have chronic sputum production, defined as a greater than 45 mililitres volume produced in the 1 week prior to study entry.
* Be able to perform reproducible spirometry
* Be in a relatively stable disease state in the 6 weeks prior to entry, as defined by the absence of the following: respiratory exacerbations requiring hospitalisation, change in cough and/or sputum production, new or increased hemoptysis, more than 10% weight loss, use of additional antibiotic courses

Exclusion Criteria:

* Subjects will be excluded if one or more of the following criteria occur. The subject: Is an investigator, or an immediate family member of an investigator
* Has a confirmed diagnosis of cystic fibrosis, as evidenced by genetic analysis or a sweat test result more than 60mmol/L
* Has a primary immunodeficiency Is a pregnant or lactating female Has had a respiratory exacerbation requiring hospitalisation or additional course of antibiotics in the 6 weeks prior to study entry
* Has been prescribed or used oral steroids on any occasion for the 3 months prior to study entry.
* Has been using mucolytic agents on any occasion for the 2 months prior to study entry Has active tuberculosis
* Has an active malignancy, including melanoma (other skin carcinomas excluded)
* Has a history of significant liver disease or insufficiency Has a significant history of drug abuse (including alcohol abuse) or mental illness Has a known intolerance or allergy to macrolides
* Has been participating in another interventional drug study in the 3 months prior to enrolment into this study
B: Inclusion Criteria:

* Clinical diagnosis of at least moderate Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), as defined by the following Global Initiative for COPD (GOLD) criteria:

  1. Post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio of less than 70%
  2. Post-bronchodilator FEV1 less than 80% predicted, with or without chronic symptoms
* Cigarette consumption of 10 pack-years or more (may or may not be active smokers)
* Meets one or more of the following four conditions:

  1. Current, or history of, supplemental O2 use
  2. Received a course of systemic corticosteroids for respiratory problems within 1 year prior to study entry
  3. Visited an emergency department for a COPD exacerbation within 1 year prior to study entry
  4. Hospitalized for a COPD exacerbation within 1 year prior to study entry
* Willing to make return visits
* Available by telephone for duration of study
* Minimum of 4 weeks from the most recent acute exacerbation (have not received a course of systemic corticosteroids, an increased dose of chronically administered systemic corticosteroids, and/or antibiotics for an acute exacerbation for a minimum of 4 weeks from the time of study entry)

Exclusion Criteria:

* Diagnosis of asthma
* Diagnosis other than COPD that results in the patient being either medically unstable, or having a predicted life expectancy less than 3 years
* Special patient groups (i.e., prisoners, pregnant women, or institutionalized patients)
* Women who are at risk of becoming pregnant during the study (pre-menopausal) and who refuse to use acceptable birth control (i.e., hormone-based oral or barrier contraceptive) for the duration of the study
* History of hypersensitivity to any macrolide antibiotic
* Taking any of the following medications:

  1. Cisapride
  2. Ergot derivatives
  3. Pimozide
  4. Disopyramide
  5. Cyclosporin
  6. Tacrolimus
  7. Nelfinavir
  8. Bromocriptine
  9. Hexobarbital
* Corrected QT interval (QTc) on electrocardiogram exceeding 440 ms
* Taking rifabutin or rifampin
* Chronic hepatic insufficiency
* Chronic renal insufficiency
* Diagnosis of bronchiectasis (defined as production of greater than one-half cup of purulent sputum/day)
* If, for either ear, formal audiometric testing in a sound booth results in a pure tone average (i.e., the average of the thresholds for the 4 frequencies 1000, 2000, 3000, or 4000) exceeding 50 decibel (dB), or if the threshold at any one frequency exceeds 60 dB, then the participant will be counseled by the audiologist concerning hearing aids and/or referral to an otolaryngologist. In addition, the audiologist may discuss with the participant whether or not to continue in the study. Following the examination and counseling, the participant will also discuss whether or not to continue in the study with one of the study investigators. If it is found that a participant's pure tone average in the two ears differs by more than 15 dB, or if the difference in the two ears for any one frequency exceeds 20 dB, then the participant will not be eligible for randomization into the study unless cleared by an otolaryngologist
C: Inclusion Criteria:

* Bronchiectasis confirmed by HRCT of the chest
* Clinically stable (not requiring antibiotics for at least 4 weeks preceding the study start date)
* Aged 18-70
* Chronic sputum production \> 5 mls for the majority of days in 3 months before enrolment
* Chronically colonized (on at least 2 occasions in the preceding 12 months) whilst clinically stable
* At least two exacerbations in the past year
* Patients able to tolerate a nebulized gentamicin challenge
* FEV1 \> 30% predicted
* Smoking \< 20 pack year history and ex-smokers \>1 year.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Cystic fibrosis
* Emphysema on HRCT chest
* Thoracic surgery within the past 1 year
* Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis
* Poorly controlled asthma ( \> 20% diurnal variation in peak expiratory flows despite treatment)
* Unstable angina or uncontrolled congestive cardiac failure
* Active malignancy
* Pregnancy or breast feeding
* Creatinine clearance \< 30 mls/minute
* Vestibular instability
* Previous documented intolerance to aminoglycosides
D: Inclusion Criteria:

* Patients aged 18 ≥ years
* Bronchiectasis diagnosed by plain bronchography or high resolution computer tomography.
* Minimal 3 lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) treated with oral/intravenous (IV) antibiotics in the year preceding the study inclusion.
* The presence of chronic respiratory symptoms such as cough, dyspnoea, expectoration of sputum.
* At least one positive sputum culture in the preceding year.
* Informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

* Previous ( ≥ 4 weeks) prolonged macrolide therapy.
* Pregnant or lactating women.
* Allergy to macrolides.
* Intolerance to macrolides.
* Liver disease (alanine transaminase and/or aspartate transaminase levels 2 or more times the upper limit of normal).
* Use of antibiotics within 14 days of screening.
* Use of oral or IV corticosteroids (≥ 30 mg prednisolone/daily) within 30 days of screening.
* Other research medication started 2 months prior to inclusion.

Answer: C