A fear of acquiring Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes considerable anxiety to a large number of CF patients and their families, a survey reveals.

Concerns around how infection would increase the burden of treatment impact daily life were particularly widespread, the survey of almost 400 UK patients with CF found.

A number of patients and their families used the word ‘scary’ to describe having the infection.

For example one respondent said: “You feel scared and you feel every second of the clock is ticking”.

“It scared me because I had only heard negative information,” another said.

A lack of understanding of P.A also contributed to patient anxiety, reported the authors from the University of Nottingham in the UK.

“I’m so paranoid about becoming colonised with P.A I’ve had the bathroom, en suite and kitchen in my house ripped out,” one respondent said.

Healthcare professionals must try to convey a balanced understanding of the risks associated with chronic PA infection without creating unnecessary distress or promoting adverse behaviours,” the study authors concluded.