Monitoring
Monitoring bronchiectasis may include sputum culture, O2 saturation measurement (SpO2), and Medical Research Counsil (MRC) dyspnea score. For mild disease, follow-up is annual while for moderate-severe disease follow-up is every 6 months. Annual spirometry and BMI measurement may be done. While CT scan is indicated for patients with clinical deterioration or every 5 years for patients with primary immunodeficiency. Follow-up also includes regular monitoring and management of complications and comorbidities. Treating possible complications and/or comorbidities such as nutritional deficiencies, GERD/aspiration, asthma, COPD, ABPA and other pathogens, odontogenic and otorhinolaryngeal disorders, urinary incontinence, anxiety and mental health disorders is also important. Some patients may also require assessments for sleep-disordered breathing and cardiac complications. Patients at higher risk of complications should be identified and considered for more frequent follow-up, including patients with COPD, primary ciliary dyskinesia or rheumatoid arthritis-associated bronchiectasis, P aeruginosa or other enteric Gram-negative infection, those with ≥2 exacerbations per year or ≥1 severe exacerbation (defined as requiring hospitalization or IV antibiotics) in the previous year, severe symptoms including high volumes of daily sputum production and purulence, and those with non-tuberculous mycobacteria infection or ABPA.