Turning the tide on bronchiectasis in adult Aboriginal Australians: from neglect to action.

Abstract

Chronic respiratory disorders are highly prevalent among adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, with emerging evidence suggesting that there is a significant burden of bronchiectasis contributing to overall higher morbidity and mortality. Despite this, bronchiectasis in adult Aboriginal Australians has attracted little attention in the past few decades, and only recently is published evidence on this topic beginning to emerge. This paper highlights recent insights into the disease profiles of bronchiectasis among adult Aboriginal populations, revealing a particularly high prevalence among rural and remote residing Aboriginal people that is disproportionately higher in comparison to global diverse ethnic cohorts. Studies reveal differences in disease characteristics as well as prevalence, with higher presence of multi-morbidity, impaired lung function (spirometry), multi-lobar involvement on chest radiology and higher bacterial load measured in sputum. In addition, hospital admission rates and all-cause mortality are high, significantly influencing the economic impact. These findings highlight the need for further research into the unique characteristics of bronchiectasis in adult Aboriginal Australian patients and highlight the need for targeted action.