Cystic Fibrosis Research Papers

1373 Words6 Pages
Cystic Fibrosis: Thick Mucous Frances Bowman Medical surgery 1 Cystic fibrosis is a life-threatening disorder which can cause minor to severe damage to the lungs and digestive system. This is an inherited condition which affects the cells that produce mucus, sweat and the other digestive juices. These secretions are supposed to be thin and slippery and act as a lubricant. Instead with this disorder they are thick and sticky and plug up tubes, ducts, and passageways in the lungs and pancreas mainly. This disorder is most common in white, northern European ancestry people; can also affect Hispanics, African Americans; and rarely in people of Asian or Pacific Islander origin. Although cystic fibrosis requires daily care,…show more content…
May worsen or improve as time passes, symptoms may show up at infancy or may remain dormant until adolescents. Now screening for newborns is done in all fifty states, early diagnosis means treatment can be immediately. The screening test for infants is a blood sample to get checked for higher than normal numbers of a chemical called a immunoreactive trypsinogen or an IRT. This test is ordered as part of a newborn screen for cystic fibrosis, and as an initial test for cystic fibrosis in symptomatic young infants who are not producing enough sweat to do a sweat chloride test. A trypsinogen test is also ordered when children or adults present with symptoms suggesting cystic fibrosis and pancreatic dysfunction such as persistent diarrhea, foul-smelling, bulky greasy stools, malnutrition, and vitamin deficiency. Trypsinogen testing is non-diagnostic; there are a fair number of false positives and problems other than cystic fibrosis and pancreatic dysfunction that can cause a positive IRT. An elevated level must be followed with other testing. When diagnosing cystic fibrosis, this may include another IRT in a month, CF gene mutation testing, and/or sweat chloride testing. If an IRT level is elevated, an infant may have cystic fibrosis; an infant or adult may have abnormal pancreatic enzyme production, pancreatitis, or pancreatic cancer; or the elevated IRT may be a false positive. Elevated levels need to be followed with…show more content…
Close monitoring and early, aggressive intervention is recommended the goals include preventing and controlling lung infections, intestinal blockage, and loosening and removing mucus from the lungs, and the best is providing good nutrition and electrolyte balance. This can be done with medications such as antibiotics, mucus thinning drugs, bronchodilators, and oral pancreatic enzymes. This can also be achieved by surgery and or other procedures; nasal polyp removal, oxygen therapy, endoscopy and lavage. More aggressively is a lung transplant, feeding tube, or bowel surgery. Once again due to this fact that CF is not curable these are only for therapeutic services. Being diagnosed as a baby is the best way to treat the symptoms as comfortable as possible. Life style changes and home remedies are also another way to get the therapeutic effectiveness. Mainly better nutrition rely the fact that the enzymes needed for digestion can’t reach your small intestine preventing food from being absorbed. In addition to enzymes replacement there is an supplemental high-calorie nutrition and special fat-soluble vitamins, extra fiber and extra salt. Drink lots of fluids, keeping immunizations up to

More about Cystic Fibrosis Research Papers

Open Document