Melanie has never allowed the fact that she has Cystic Fibrosis (CF) to slow her down. She has goals, she has dreams and she intends to pursue them. Listen to her story - click below to watch her video.

With cystic fibrosis, being sick is a part of life – ongoing infections that leave her breathless and coughing uncontrollably.

In 2008, Melanie contracted pneumonia, and while generally this would not have unduly concerned her, on this occasion it hit her hard and fast, whilst she was already on medication, leaving her abnormally weak and out of breath.

After three weeks in the hospital for her cystic fibrosis, and multiple combinations of antibiotics in different doses based on results from the traditional MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) test , Melanie’s condition had still not improved, causing both her family and doctors the upmost concern.

With little progress in finding a successful antibiotic regime, Melanie’s team sought out Innovotech’s bioFILM PA™ susceptibility test.

Upon receiving the new test results, Melanie was immediately taken off of the six antibiotics that she was on, and they were replaced with a single antibiotic, not often used in CF cystic fibrosis lung infections, that was identified by the bioFILM PA™ test. As a result of the change, Melanie’s condition improved and she was discharged from the hospital not long after.

Cystic fibrosis is one of the most recognized biofilm diseases and cystic fibrosis lung infections, such as pneumonia, are common. Until now, the only method to determine which antibiotics to use in treating a chronic infection such as pneumonia, has been the MIC test, however the results from this test provide antibiotic choices for bacteria in the free-floating state, not in the natural, or biofilm state, which is the norm for 80% of all human infections. Exposing a patient to an incorrect antibiotic can potentially delay a patient’s recovery, and ultimately contribute to increased antibiotic resistance, thereby reducing the number of antibiotics that would be effective in treating an infection at any given time.

In contrast, Innovotech’s antimicrobial susceptibility tests, including bioFILM PA™, are specific for bacterial biofilm infections, and provide information to choose the right antibiotic – right from the start.

Melanie continues to pursue her dreams despite her cystic fibrosis - she recently got married and has completed her degree in veterinary medicine.