Treatments for Cystic Fibrosis
Treatments for Cystic Fibrosis
The list of treatments mentioned in various sources
for Cystic Fibrosis
includes the following list.
Always seek professional medical advice about any treatment
or change in treatment plans.
- Respiratory treatments - for treating the lung and respiratory tract problems:
- Digestive treatments - for the various digestive disorders:
- Lung transplants - may allow long-term survival of the patient since the transplanted lung does not have CF.
- Live donor lung transplant - multiple live donors donate a part of a lung which is used to rebuild the patient's lung.
- Double lung transplant
- Copper - possibly used for related copper deficiency
- Vitamin A - to prevent vitamin A deficiency
- Vitamin E - possibly used for treatment of related Vitamin E deficiency
- Sodium - possibly used for treatment of related sodium deficiency
- Aerosolized medication
- Bilevel positive airway pressure
- Tracheostomy
- Lung transplantation
- Gene therapy
Cystic Fibrosis: Is the Diagnosis Correct?
The first step in getting correct treatment is
to get a correct diagnosis.
Differential diagnosis list for Cystic Fibrosis may include:
Hidden causes of Cystic Fibrosis may be incorrectly diagnosed:
- Genetic mutation. Cystic fibrosis is one of the most common life-shortening genetic diseases
- more causes...»
Curable Types of Cystic Fibrosis
Possibly curable types of Cystic Fibrosis may include:
- Pneumothorax related to cystic fibrosis
- Nasal polps related to cystic fibrosis
- Chronic sinusitis related to cystic fibrosis
- Meconium ileus related to cystic fibrosis
- more curable types...»
Cystic Fibrosis: Research Doctors & Specialists
Research all specialists including ratings, affiliations, and sanctions.
Drugs and Medications used to treat Cystic Fibrosis:
Note:You must always seek professional medical advice about any prescription drug, OTC drug, medication, treatment
or change in treatment plans.
Some of the different medications used in the treatment of Cystic Fibrosis include:
Unlabeled Drugs and Medications to treat Cystic Fibrosis:
Unlabelled alternative drug treatments for Cystic Fibrosis include:
- Cipro XR
- Ciprol XL
- Cimogal
- Ciprobiotic
- Ciproflox
- Ciprofur
- Ciproxina
- Eni
- Kenzoflex
- Microrgan
- Mitroken
- Nivoflox
- Novoquin
- Opthaflox
- Quinoflox
- Sophixin
- Suiflox
- Zipra
Latest treatments for Cystic Fibrosis:
The following are some of the latest treatments for Cystic Fibrosis:
Hospital statistics for Cystic Fibrosis:
These medical statistics relate to hospitals, hospitalization and Cystic Fibrosis:
- 0.07% (9,211) of hospital consultant episodes were for cystic fibrosis in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
- 96% of hospital consultant episodes for cystic fibrosis required hospital admission in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
- 49% of hospital consultant episodes for cystic fibrosis were men in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
- 51% of hospital consultant episodes for cystic fibrosis were women in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
- more hospital information...»
Hospitals & Medical Clinics: Cystic Fibrosis
Research quality ratings and patient incidents/safety measures
for hospitals and medical facilities in specialties related to Cystic Fibrosis:
Hospital & Clinic quality ratings » »
Choosing the Best Treatment Hospital:
More general information, not necessarily in relation to Cystic Fibrosis,
on hospital and medical facility performance and surgical care quality:
Discussion of treatments for Cystic Fibrosis:
In the meantime, the best that doctors can do is to ease the
symptoms of CF or slow the progress of the disease so the patient's quality of
life is improved. This is achieved by antibiotic therapy combined with
treatments to clear the thick mucus from the lungs. The therapy is tailored to
the needs of each patient. For patients whose disease is very advanced, lung
transplantation may be an option.
CF was once always fatal in childhood. Better treatment methods developed
over the past 20 years have increased the average lifespan of CF patients to
nearly 30 years. These treatment approaches are detailed more fully below:
- Management of lung problems
- A major focus of CF treatment is the obstructed breathing that causes
frequent lung infections. Physical therapy, exercise, and medications are
used to reduce the mucus blockage of the lung's airways.
- Chest therapy consists of bronchial, or postural, drainage, which is
done by placing the patient in a position that allows drainage of the mucus
from the lungs. At the same time, the chest or back is clapped (percussed)
and vibrated to dislodge the mucus and help it move out of the airways. This
process is repeated over different parts of the chest and back to loosen the
mucus in different areas of each lung. This procedure has to be done for
children by family members but older patients can learn to do it by
themselves. Mechanical aids that help chest physical therapy are available
commercially. Exercise also helps to loosen the mucus, stimulate coughing to
clear the mucus, and improve the patient's overall physical condition.
- Medications used to help breathing are often aerosolized (misted) and
can be inhaled. These medicines include bronchodilators (which widen the
breathing tubes), mucolytics (which thin the mucus), and decongestants
(which reduce swelling of the membranes of the breathing tubes). A recent
advance, approved by the Food and Drug Administration, is an inhaled
aerosolized enzyme that thins the mucus by digesting the cellular material
trapped in it. Antibiotics to fight lung infections also are used and may be
taken orally or in aerosol form, or by injection into a vein.
- Management of digestive problems
- The digestive problems in CF are less serious and more easily managed
than those in the lungs. A well-balanced, high-caloric diet, low in fat and
high in protein, and pancreatic enzymes (which help digestion) are often
prescribed. Supplements of vitamins A, D, E, and K are given to ensure good
nutrition. Enemas and mucolytic agents are used to treat intestinal
obstructions.
(Source: excerpt from
NHLBI, Facts About Cystic Fibrosis: NHLBI)
Buy Products Related to Treatments for Cystic Fibrosis
Book Excerpts: Treatment of Cystic Fibrosis
Treatments of Cystic Fibrosis: Online Medical Books
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Pancreatitis:
Treatment (Tx)
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
I.V. fluid replacement, morphine, diazepam, antibiotics, calcium gluconate, insulin
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Cystic fibrosis:
Treatment
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
The aim of treatment is to help the child lead as normal a life as possible. The type of treatment depends on the organ systems involved.
To combat electrolyte losses in sweat, salt foods generously and, in hot weather, administer sodium supplements.
To offset pancreatic enzyme deficiencies, give oral pancreatic enzymes with meals and snacks, as ordered. Maintain a diet that's low in fat, but high in protein and calories, and provide supplements of water-miscible, fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K).
Management of pulmonary dysfunction includes chest physiotherapy, postural drainage, and breathing exercises several times daily to aid removal of secretions from lungs. Antihistamines are contraindicated because they have a drying effect on mucous membranes, making expectoration of mucus difficult or impossible. Aerosol therapy includes intermittent nebulizer treatments before postural drainage to loosen secretions.
Dornase alfa or DNase (recombinant human deoxyribonuclease), genetically engineered pulmonary enzymes given by aerosol nebulizer, helps thin airway mucus, improving lung function and reducing the risk of pulmonary infection.
Treatment of pulmonary infection requires:
❑ broad-spectrum antimicrobials
❑ oxygen therapy as needed
❑ loosening and removal of mucopurulent secretions, using an intermittent nebulizer and postural drainage to relieve obstruction. Use of a mist tent is controversial because mist particles may become trapped in the esophagus and stomach and never even reach the lungs.
Lung transplantation may be considered in some cases. Genetic research is ongoing, with researchers hoping to cure cystic fibrosis by artificially inserting a “healthy” gene into a person through gene therapy. The gene would be inserted by using an intranasal form.Research on correcting the disorder before birth is promising.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Pancreatic cancer:
Treatment
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Treatment of pancreatic cancer is rarely successful because this disease has usually metastasized widely at diagnosis. Therapy consists of surgery and, possibly, radiation and chemotherapy. Standard chemotherapy for patients with locally unresectable cancer includes gemcitabine. Gemcitabine has been demonstrated to improve the quality of life through better pain control, adequate performance status, decreased analgesic consumption, shrinkage of tumor, and prolonged survival. (See Staging pancreatic cancer, page 90.)
Other medications used in pancreatic cancer include:
❑antacids (by mouth or by nasogastric [NG] tube) — to decrease secretion of pancreatic enzymes and to suppress peptic activity, thereby reducing stress-induced damage to gastric mucosa
❑ antibiotics (oral, I.V., or I.M.) — to prevent infection and relieve symptoms
❑ anticholinergics (particularly propantheline) — to decrease GI tract spasm and motility and reduce pain and secretions
❑ diuretics — to mobilize extracellular fluid from ascites
❑ insulin — to provide adequate exogenous insulin after pancreatic resection
❑ opioids — to relieve pain, but only after analgesics fail because morphine, meperidine, and codeine can lead to biliary tract spasm and increase common bile duct pressure
❑ pancreatic enzymes (average dose 0.5 to 1 mg with meals) — to assist in digestion of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats when pancreatic juices are insufficient because of surgery or obstruction.
Small advances have been made in the survival rate with surgery:
❑ Total pancreatectomy may increase survival time by resecting a localized tumor or by controlling postoperative gastric ulceration.
❑ Cholecystojejunostomy, choledochoduodenostomy, and choledochojejunostomy have partially replaced radical resection to bypass obstructing common bile duct extensions, thus decreasing the incidence of jaundice and pruritus.
❑ Whipple's operation, or pancreatoduodenectomy, has high mortality but can produce wide lymphatic clearance, except with tumors located near the portal vein, superior mesenteric vein and artery, and celiac axis. This rarely used procedure removes the head of the pancreas, the duodenum, and portions of the body and tail of the pancreas, stomach, jejunum, pancreatic duct, and distal portion of the bile duct.
❑Gastrojejunostomy is performed if radical resection isn't indicated and duodenal obstruction is expected to develop later.
Radiation therapy is usually ineffective except as an adjunct to chemotherapy or as a palliative measure.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Cirrhosis and fibrosis:
Treatment
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Treatment is designed to remove or alleviate the underlying cause of cirrhosis or fibrosis, prevent further liver damage, and prevent or treat complications. The patient may benefit from a high-calorie and moderate- to high-protein diet, but developing hepatic encephalopathy mandates restricted protein intake. In addition, sodium is usually restricted to 200 to 500 mg/day and fluids to 1 to 1½ qt (1 to 1.5 L)/day.
If the patient’s condition continues to deteriorate, he may need tube feedings or total parenteral nutrition. He may also need supplemental vitamins — A, B complex, D, and K — to compensate for the liver’s inability to store them and vitamin B12, folic acid, and thiamine for deficiency anemia. Rest, moderate exercise, and avoidance of exposure to infections and toxic agents are essential.
Drug therapy requires special caution because the cirrhotic liver can’t detoxify harmful substances efficiently. When absolutely necessary, vasopressin may be prescribed for esophageal varices, and diuretics may be given for edema. However, diuretics require careful monitoring because fluid and electrolyte imbalance may precipitate hepatic encephalopathy. Encephalopathy is treated with lactulose. Antibiotics are used to decrease intestinal bacteria and reduce ammonia production, which causes encephalopathy. Coagulopathy may be treated with blood products or vitamin K.
Low-protein diets are controversial. They aid in managing acute hepatic encephalopathy but are rarely necessary in chronic conditions because of the underlying protein-calorie malnutrition.
Paracentesis and infusions of salt-poor albumin, in addition to fluid and salt restriction, may alleviate ascites. Surgical procedures include treatment of varices by upper endoscopy with banding or sclerosis, splenectomy, esophagogastric resection, and splenorenal or portacaval anastomosis to relieve portal hypertension. (See Portal hypertension and esophageal varices, page 758, and Circulation in portal hypertension, page 759.)
Alert If cirrhosis progresses and becomes life-threatening, a liver transplant should be considered.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Pancreatitis:
Treatment
(Handbook of Diseases)
The goal of therapy is to maintain circulation and fluid volume. Treatment measures must also relieve pain and decrease pancreatic secretions. In 90% of patients with acute pancreatitis, the disease occurs as a mild self-limiting illness and requires only simple supportive care alone. In the remaining 10% of patients, the disease can evolve into a severe form of acute pancreatitis with significant complications, a lengthy duration of illness and, for many, death.
Emergency measures
Emergency treatment of shock (which is the most common cause of death in early-stage pancreatitis) consists of vigorous I.V. replacement of electrolytes and proteins. The patient receives nothing by mouth, a nasogastric tube is inserted for abdominal distention, and an anticholinergic may be administered.
Metabolic acidosis that develops secondary to hypovolemia and impaired cellular perfusion requires vigorous fluid volume replacement.
Drug treatment may include morphine sulfate for pain, diazepam for restlessness and agitation, and antibiotics for documented bacterial infections.
Specific metabolic complications — such as hypokalemia, hypocalcemia, hemorrhage, and coagulopathy — must be treated with appropriate replacement products, such as potassium chloride, I.V. calcium gluconate or chloride, red blood cells, and fresh frozen plasma. Hyperglycemia and glycosuria are manifestations of altered carbohydrate metabolism. Treatment consists of careful titration of glucose and insulin to maintain a euglycemic state.
CLINICAL TIP: Treating the underlying condition may prevent recurrent attacks.
After the emergency
After the emergency phase, continuing I.V. therapy should provide adequate electrolytes and protein solutions. If the patient is unable to resume oral feedings, total parenteral nutrition may be necessary. Nonstimulating enteral feedings may be safer because of the decreased risk of infection and maintenance of normal physiology.
Surgery for acute pancreatitis is reserved for treating specific complications and correcting anatomic problems. Surgery is usually required for patients with necrotizing pancreatitis to debride devitalized tissue and to provide external drainage. Debridement, usually at 24- to 48-hour intervals, until the necrotic tissue is replaced by a granulating wound, is commonly required.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Cystic fibrosis:
Treatment
(Handbook of Diseases)
The aim of treatment is to help the child lead as normal a life as possible. Specific treatment depends on the organ systems involved.
❑ To combat sweat electrolyte losses, treatment includes generous salting of foods and, during hot weather, administration of sodium supplements.
❑ To offset pancreatic enzyme deficiencies, treatment includes oral pancreatic enzymes with meals and snacks. The child’s diet should be low in fat but high in protein and calories, and it should include supplements of water-miscible, fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K).
❑ Management of pulmonary dysfunction includes chest physiotherapy, postural drainage, and breathing exercises several times daily to aid removal of secretions from the lungs; a flutter valve may be used in some cases. Antihistamines are contraindicated; they have a drying effect on mucous membranes, making expectoration of mucus difficult or impossible.
Aerosol therapy includes intermittent nebulizer treatments before postural drainage to loosen secretions. Dornase alfa, a genetically engineered pulmonary enzyme given by aerosol nebulizer, helps thin airway mucus, improving lung function and reducing the risk of pulmonary infection.
A patient with pulmonary infection will need mucopurulent secretions loosened and removed, using an intermittent nebulizer and postural drainage to relieve obstruction. Use of a mist tent is controversial because mist particles may become trapped in the esophagus and stomach and never even reach the lungs. Broad-spectrum antimicrobials help combat infection. Oxygen therapy is used as needed.
Recently, some patients have undergone lung transplantation to reduce the effects of the disease. Also, clinical trials of aerosol gene therapy show promise in reducing pulmonary symptoms.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Pancreatic cancer:
Treatment
(Handbook of Diseases)
Treatment of pancreatic cancer is rarely successful because this disease has usually metastasized widely by the time it’s diagnosed.
Therapy consists of surgery and, possibly, radiation and chemotherapy. Small advances have been made in the survival rate with surgery:
❑ Total pancreatectomy may increase survival time.
❑ Cholecystojejunostomy, choledochoduodenostomy, and choledochojejunostomy have partially replaced radical resection to bypass obstructing common bile duct extensions, thus decreasing the incidence of jaundice and pruritus.
❑ Whipple’s operation, or pancreatoduodenectomy, has a high mortality but can produce wide lymphatic clearance, except with tumors located near the portal vein, superior mesenteric vein and artery, and celiac axis. This procedure removes the head of the pancreas, the duodenum, gall bladder, end of the common bile duct, and possibly portions of the body and tail of the pancreas and stomach.
❑ Gastrojejunostomy is performed if radical resection isn’t indicated and duodenal obstruction is expected to develop later.
If the tumor is confined to the pancreas and can’t be removed, a combination of radiation and chemotherapy may be used. If the tumor has metastasized to other organs such as the liver, chemotherapy is usually the lone treatment. Gemcitabine is the standard agent and produces improvement in 50% of patients.
Other medications used in the treatment of pancreatic cancer include:
❑ anticholinergics (particularly propantheline) — to decrease GI tract spasm and motility and reduce pain and secretions
❑ antacids (oral or by nasogastric [NG] tube) — to decrease secretion of pancreatic enzymes and suppress peptic activity, thereby reducing stress-induced damage to gastric mucosa
❑ insulin — to provide adequate exogenous insulin supply after pancreatic resection
❑ narcotics — to relieve pain, but only after analgesics fail because morphine, meperidine, and codeine can lead to biliary tract spasm and increase common bile duct pressure
❑ pancreatic enzymes (average dose is 0.5 to 1 mg with meals) — to assist in the digestion of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats when pancreatic juices are insufficient because of surgery or obstruction.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
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