2. WHAT IS CYSTIC FIBROSIS?
• It is the second most common inherited disease occurring in childhood in the
US.
• It causes thick, sticky mucus to form in the lungs, pancreas and other organs.
• It blocks the airways, causing lung damage and making it hard to breathe.
• In the pancreas, it clogs the pathways leading to the digestive system,
interfering with proper digestion.
• More than 10 million Americans carry the defective cystic fibrosis gene without
knowing it.
• 30,000 people in the United States have CF. About 1,000 new cases of cystic
fibrosis are diagnosed each year.

3. WHAT CAUSES CYSTIC FIBROSIS?
A person must inherit two defective CF genes—one from each parent—to have
CF.
Each time two carriers of the defective gene conceive, there is a:
• 25 percent chance that their child will have Cystic Fibrosis.
• 50 percent chance that the child will inherit one defective gene and be carrier
but not have the disease.
• 25 percent chance that the child will not have the gene at all.

4. HOW SERIOUS IS CYSTIC FIBROSIS?
Bacteria grows in the mucus, leading to life-threatening lung infections that can
damage the lungs.
• This makes breathing difficult.
• In some people with CF, the disease begins at childhood.
• The life expectancy of people with CF, is rising (30s, 40s, and beyond).
• People with CF are also at increased risk of diabetes and osteoporosis.
• Prevents normal digestion and leads to malnutrition.
• Life-threatening lung infections that can damage the lungs.

5. WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
The most common symptoms of CF are:
• Very salty-tasting skin
• Persistent coughing, wheezing or shortness of breath
• Excessive appetite but poor weight gain
• Greasy, bulky stools
Ways to detect CF:
• CF is diagnosed through the sweat test, which measures the amount of salt in
the sweat. A high salt level indicates that a person has CF.
• CF also can be identified before birth through prenatal screening and after birth
through newborn screening.

6. HOW IS CF TREATED?
Airway clearance techniques to clear mucus from the lungs:
• One technique is called postural drainage and percussion. The person with CF sits,
stands or lies in a position that helps free up mucus. The chest and back are
pounded and clapped to loosen the mucus
Inhaled medicines:
• TOBI, an aerosolized antibiotic used to treat lung infections
• Pulmozyme, a mucus-thinning drug shown to reduce the number of lung infections
and improve lung function
• Bronchodilator medicines to help open the airways
• Hypertonic saline to help draw more water into the airways to thin mucus
Other treatments:
• Azithromycin, an antibiotic that fights bacteria in the lungs
• Anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen to help reduce swelling in the
airways
• Lung transplantation may be an option in some severe cases of CF.

7. LIVING WITH CF
A person with CF is always at risk of lung infections. Ways to lessen the risk
include:
• Frequent handwashing with soap and water or hand gel
• Avoid unnecessary contact with people who have a cold or other contagious
illness
• Get a flu shot every year
• Don't smoke and stay away from secondhand smoke

8. THE END
Pedro Nardi
Manuel Van Peborgh
Nacho Achaval