Epidemiology

The prevalence worldwide is unknown due to the lack of standardized medical care and poor health care access in underdeveloped countries. In the US, an estimated 110,000 individuals are affected, but data suggest that prevalence is increasing.[6][7] Bronchiectasis is more common with advancing age, ranging from 4.2 per 100,000 people ages 18 to 34 years to 272 per 100,000 people over 75 years old.[6] The economic burden of bronchiectasis is significant, with hospitalizations being the main driver, particularly in patients with frequent exacerbations or chronic Pseudomonas infection.[8]

Bronchiectasis in children is increasingly being recognized.[9] A study in New Zealand estimated the incidence to be 3.7 per 100,000 in children; incidence varied with ethnicity, with the highest rate being 17.8 per 100,000 in Pacific children.[10] More than 60% of adults with bronchiectasis report symptoms from childhood, and these patients have worse disease and a poorer prognosis compared with patients with adult-onset bronchiectasis.[11] Bronchiectasis is associated with a poor quality of life in both children and their parents, particularly when exacerbations are frequent.[9]

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