Prolonged wet cough in children can be tricky to treat, with recurrent bouts of bronchitis a frustration for parents and GPs.

It’s been suspected for a while that children with persistent chest infections might be harbouring highly antibiotic-resistant biofilm in their lower airways, putting them at greater risk of bronchiectasis.  

Until recently, however, no study has provided evidence of the prevalence of this bacterial ‘slime’.   

But Australian researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery, published in February, on examination of 144 archived bronchoalveolar lavage specimens from children (median age of two) who had protracted bacterial bronchitis (PBB) or bronchiectasis.