Adults with cystic fibrosis need specialist care

BMJ 1998;316:1929 ( 27 June )

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Adults with cystic fibrosis need specialist care

Jenny Bryan, London

Adults with cystic fibrosis in many parts of Europe and North America are missing out on specialist treatment, delegates attending the European cystic fibrosis conference in Berlin heard last week. This is despite growing evidence that such specialist care has a significant impact on morbidity (BMJ 1998;316:1771-5).

Since 1980, the average life expectancy for patients with cystic fibrosis in countries with good medical care has risen from 15 to 31. However, a shortage of adult services in the United States, Germany, and eastern and southern Europe means that patients are treated at paediatric clinics or local hospitals without access to specialist care for diabetes, osteoporosis, fertility, and other disorders related to the disease that are emerging as a result of improved survival.

At 41, Barbara Palys, chairwoman of the International Association of Cystic Fibrosis Adults is still being treated at a . . . [Full text of this article]

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Relevant Article

Clinical outcome in relation to care in centres specialising in cystic fibrosis: cross sectional study • Commentary: Management in paediatric and adult cystic fibrosis centres improves clinical outcome: Ravi Mahadeva, Kevin Webb, Roger C Westerbeek, Nick R Carroll, Mary E Dodd, Diana Bilton, David A Lomas, and J A Dodge
BMJ 1998 316: 1771-1775. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]