Cystic Fibrosis Research Paper

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common lethal autosomal recessive disease affecting Canadians (2). CF can affect multiple organs; however, the most fatal symptoms occur in the lung. As of 2013, the median age of survival for CF is roughly 50 years old with treatment (3). However, patient life-span decreases dramatically when treatment options such as antibiotics and enzymes are not administered, and nutritional changes or lung transplants are not made (3). Currently, there is no cure for CF, although current treatments can improve patient outcome.

Cystic Fibrosis, also known as CF, is one of the most common life-threatening genetic disorders found in people. Discovered in 1938 by Dr. Dorothy Hansine Andersen, Cystic Fibrosis severely affects two parts of the human body, including the respiratory system and the digestive system. Cystic Fibrosis causes the mucus glands to secrete very thick and sticky mucus. This mucus then clogs the tiny air passages and traps bacteria in the lungs. The thick mucus also stops the release of digestive enzymes in the pancreas from reaching the small intestine. According to Cystic Fibrosis Queensland (2015) more than one million Australians carry the Cystic Fibrosis Gene, with one in every 25 people, often not realising they are carrying the deadly gene.

Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease that causes multiple lung infections and limits the ability to breathe over the span of a lime time. Cystic Fibrosis causes a thick buildup of mucus in the lungs, pancreas, and other organs, so Cystic Fibrosis is not only a respiratory disease but can also cause problems in the digestive system.

Cystic Fibrosis is one of the most common and fatal genetic diseases in the United States. Cystic Fibrosis is a disease that causes the body to produce a thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs. This can lead to infection and blocks in the pancreas, which stops digestive enzymes from reaching the intestine where they are required in order to digest(“Learning About Cystic Fibrosis,” 2013). Cystic Fibrosis can go undiagnosed for a long period of time. For example, Mackenzie Dondanville 11 years old, four years ago, who had been coughing a lot for the previous year and a half. Due to her being physically athletic while competing in soccer, her pediatrician thought her cough and shortness of breath was due to exercise-induced asthma. It wasn't until Mackenzie's prescribed inhaler isn't working, that they realized something more was going on (“Mackenzies Story,”2018).

In infants symptoms include coughing, wheezing, excess mucus in the lungs, shortness of breath, extremely salty skin and decelerated growth. With infants it is very common for them to develop pneumonia infections because of all the bacteria that resides in the lungs. With treatment, most patients with cystic fibrosis live into their 20’s and 30’s, some individuals with milder cases can live longer. Death is most often due to end-stage lung disease.Thus far no cure for the disease has been found. Although, research on gene therapy is promising. Treatment is generally aimed at alleviating symptoms, preventing infections, and slowing the progress of the disorder. (Egan’s 10th Ed,

Cystic fibrosis, an inherited disease of the secretory glands that affects the liver, pancreas, intestines, lungs, sinuses, and sex organs, affects about 30,000 Americans with 1,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Normal mucus is a watery, slick substance made by the tissues that keeps the inside of organs moist, preventing infection. People with cystic fibrosis have thick and sticky mucus that builds up in their lungs, blocking the airways. This buildup can cause serious lung diseases from bacteria growth that damages the lungs. This damage to the lungs can cause severe breathing problems which can lead to respiratory failure. Respiratory failure is the most common cause of death in people with cystic fibrosis. The thick and sticky mucus also can block the tubes that carry important enzymes from the pancreas to the small intestines that are needed to break down food and for your body to absorb the nutrients essential for one’s health.

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a disorder causing the body to release extremely thick and sticky mucus that clogs the lungs and pancreas, leading to problems with breathing and digestion, infection, and ultimately death. Abnormal secretion of sweat and saliva glands is also characteristic of CF. This disease a hereditary disorder of the exocrine glands that is characterized by respiratory and digestive problems and the most common inherited disease among Caucasians, affecting 3,600 live births in the Canada alone. CF affects men and women equally, but affects white people more than black people. This disease mainly affects children and young adults and is diagnosed by the age of three. Due to the advances in genetic research, diagnosis has been

Cystic fibrosis is a condition that causes sticky mucus to build up inside of the body. It can affect many organs in the body, including the lungs and pancreas. It is common for people with cystic fibrosis to have development and growth issues due to digestive problems.

CF is broken into 6 classes of the disease. Class 1 through 3 appears to be more severe than the latter 4 through 6; which mainly result in only pancreatic deficiency. The rate of deaths due to cystic fibrosis is dependent on the class of disease and age of diagnosis which can range from 6 months old to 10 years old. The average age of survival, with treatment, in the United States is 25 years old. Abnormal secretions cause respiratory, digestive and reproductive obstructions. Respiratory failure is caused by mucous impaction of airways due to plugging, chronic inflammation and infection. Respiratory infections are the main cause of death. A person with cystic fibrosis has a persistent cough or wheeze resulting in some sputum production and reoccurring pneumonia. This excess mucus creates a chronic bronchiectasis within the lungs resulting in cyst and peripheral bullae formation. (McCance et al., 2010) Excessive coughing called coughing fits normally allow a person to clear their airways and remove the excess fluid from their lungs. However, in CF when a person has a coughing fit they produce very little mucus excretion and do not have any symptom relief. This could cause a rupture of one of the many peripheral bullae leading to pneumothorax, a collapsed lung. (McCance et al.,

     Today, there is no cure for Cystic Fibrosis, but if the disease is found in an individual early enough, the patient can be recovered. About 85 to 90% of patients will have problems absorbing nutrients from their intestines. And because enzymes are lost when diagnosed, enzyme supplements are required to prevent bad nutrition and malnutrition. There are two main body parts that can be cared for the treatment of Cystic Fibrosis: The lungs and the chest. Lung problems can also be treated, but not cured. Antibiotics and other drugs may loosen the thick mucus in the lungs, but if it fails, a transplant lung may help to extend life. But about four hundred people die each year while waiting for a lung transplant. Also Chest physical therapy is a technique done by vigorous claps on the back and chest to loosen the thick mucus from the lungs. The average lifespan of an individual with CF is about thirty years.

Cystic Fibrosis, or CF, is a genetic disease that affects children to young adults. It occurs when a child has two defective copies of the gene that causes cystic fibrosis, one from each parent. The disease primarily affects the digestive system and it also affects the respiratory system, mainly the lungs bronchi and bronchioles. Cystic fibrosis affects the cells that produce mucus and digestive juices, as it changes the protein that regulates the movement of salt in and out of cells. Which leads to people thick and sticky mucus and digestive juices, such as pancreatic juices. Whereas people who do not have CF have thin and slippery mucus and digestive juices. The severity of the disease differs from one person to the next, yet the

Cystic Fibrosis is a disease that affects the body in many ways throughout the patient's life. Newborns with Cystic Fibrosis may experience delayed growth, inability to gain weight, and salty-tasting skin ("Cystic," umm.edu 1). Older patients may be infertile, have recurring pancreatitis, and respiratory problems ("Cystic," umm.edu 2). Considering that these are just symptoms involving age, the full spectrum of ailments that afflict a patient with Cystic Fibrosis is far more taxing on a patient.

This is a great improvement over survival rate of the 1950s with the life expectancy of 1 year or less for cystic fibrosis patients. Unfortunately, since it is a recessive genetic disease, there are many men and women who are carriers of the disease without actually having the disease themselves. If each parent is a non-affected carrier of cystic fibrosis, there is only a 25 percent chance of having a non-affected, non-carrier child and 50 percent chance of having a child that is a non-affected carrier of cystic fibrosis. Unfortunately there is also a 25 percent chance of having a child affected by cystic fibrosis. This makes prenatal genetic screening very important.

Cystic Fibrosis is a disorder where the exocrine glands secrete abnormally thick mucus, leading to obstruction of the pancreas and chronic infections of the lungs, which usually cause death in childhood or early adulthood. Some mildly affected patients may survive longer. Doctors can diagnose the disease by testing the patients perspiration because people with Cystic Fibrosis have high amounts of salt in their perspiration. Those with respiratory infections are treated with antibiotics, with aerosols that relieve constriction of the airways and liquefy the thick mucus, and by physical therapy to help patients cough up the obstructing secretions. Patients with pancreatic insufficiency can take pancreatic enzymes with meals.

Cystic Fibrosis, a very serious inherited genetic disease, is also known as CF and sixty-five roses. This disease affects one in every 3,000 live births. It may first appear in a newborn, but can appear all the way up until a young adult. However, ten percent of most cases are apparent at birth. CF affects the lungs and causes a build-up of abnormally thick mucus which leads to chest infections, and CF also affects the reproductive system. Doctors do not know what causes the mucus to thicken. CF’s infections usually lead to death in childhood and early adulthood. Most people infected with CF had a life span into their teens long ago. Now, due to advanced technology, the life span is in the fifties or older.