To prevent these side-effects, the amount of antibiotics in the blood is routinely measured and adjusted accordingly.All these factors related to the antibiotics use, the chronicity of the disease, and the emergence of resistant bacteria demand more exploration for different strategies such as antibiotic adjuvant therapy. Currently, no reliable clinical trial evidence shows the effectiveness of antibiotics for pulmonary exacerbations in people with cystic fibrosis and Burkholderia cepacia complex or for the use of antibiotics to treat nontuberculous mycobacteria in people with CF. Other medication
Aerosolized medications that help loosen secretions include dornase alfa and hypertonic saline. Dornase is a recombinant human deoxyribonuclease, which breaks down DNA in the sputum, thus decreasing its viscosity. Dornase alpha improves lung function and probably decreases the risk of exacerbations but there is insufficient evidence to know if it is more or less effective than other similar medications. Dornase alpha may improve lung function, however there is no strong evidence that it is better than other hyperosmolar therapies.Denufosol, an investigational drug, opens an alternative chloride channel, helping to liquefy mucus. Whether inhaled corticosteroids are useful is unclear, but stopping inhaled corticosteroid therapy is safe. There is weak evidence that corticosteroid treatment may cause harm by interfering with growth. Pneumococcal vaccination has not been studied as of 2014.
This prolonged therapy often necessitates hospitalization and insertion of a more permanent IV such as a peripherally inserted central catheter or Port-a-Cath. Inhaled therapy with antibiotics such as tobramycin, colistin, and aztreonam is often given for months at a time to improve lung function by impeding the growth of colonized bacteria. Inhaled antibiotic therapy helps lung function by fighting infection, but also has significant drawbacks such as development of antibiotic resistance, tinnitus, and changes in the voice. Inhaled levofloxacin may be used to treat Pseudomonas aeruginosa in people with cystic fibrosis who are infected. The early management of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection is easier and better, using nebulised antibiotics with or without oral antibiotics may sustain its eradication up to two years. When choosing antibiotics to treat CF patients with lung infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in people with cystic fibrosis, it is still unclear whether the choice of antibiotics should be based on the results of testing antibiotics separately (one at a time) or in combination with each other.Antibiotics by mouth such as ciprofloxacin or azithromycin are given to help prevent infection or to control ongoing infection. The aminoglycoside antibiotics (e.g. tobramycin) used can cause hearing loss, damage to the balance system in the inner ear or kidney failure with long-term use.