With increased life expectancy for people with Cystic Fibrosis (CF)
The health care system is experiencing obstacles involving sexuality, reproduction, and patient illness management (Hull & Kass, 2016). The cost of primary care for this disease has risen. In response to the high prevalence of CF, the health-care system has established a number of specialist CF care centers to provide essential medical care to CF patients. Nursing practice has evolved around the management of this disease in the spectrum of helping people with CF in adapting to complex care plan (George & Hazle, 2014). Nursing practice emphatically assigns the role of advocate, educator and consultant to the nurses when it comes to help CF patients.
Impact of Cystic Fibrosis During Childhood
Children diagnosed with CF tend to develop respiratory complications accompanied by developmental issues such as language skill impairment, limited cognitive ability, and health issues related to lungs and liver (Ernst, Mark C. Johnson, & Stark, 2010). The child is likely to experience malnutrition, bloated tummy and constipation due to this disease. Repeated sinus infection, diabetes, salty sweat and inflammation of pancreases are less occurring impacts of CF on children.
Impact of Cystic Fibrosis on Adult
With the advances in treatment and understanding of the disease, life expectancy of people with CF is steadily rising. The disease cannot affect an adult during adulthood, which indicates that any adult with CF is bearing the disease since his childhood. However, with age, bearing up with the disease becomes challenging day by day. Adult CF patients need to increase their medications, treatments and care with their increasing ages. Apart from physical problems, CF presents many social and psychological challenges to adults that are hard to manage with. It is hard to continue work and personal relationships for the CF patients. Both male and female adult–having Cystic Fibrosis–can enjoy sex life but about 98% of them cannot have baby in a natural process (CF in adulthood, 2016). Fertility and reproductive issues are common among adults.
Though the transmission of the disease during adulthood is limited
The disease can be transmitted through unsafe sex if one of the partners already has the disease. On the other hand, pregnant women can develop the disease during pregnancy due to increased stress and health factors associated with the pregnancy (Ernst, Mark C. Johnson, & Stark, 2010).
Validation of The Health Problem
CF is one of the most genetically inherited diseases among white people with a prevalence rate of 1 in 2500 newborn infants, with a carrier frequency of 1 out of 25 (Cystic Fibrosis, 2013). The probability of having a baby with CF disease from two genetic carriers is 25%. About 75% of the patients are diagnosed at the age of 2 years. Average survival rate has reached to 33.4 years and still counting (Cystic Fibrosis Statistics, 2014).
Conclusion
CF is a degenerative health issue that has been increasing with the increase of life expectancy attributed to advanced disease management and care services. The likelihood of diagnosing and managing the disease during adulthood is improving, which will change the scenario revolutionarily.
References
CF in adulthood. (2016, June 15). Retrieved from cysticfibrosis: https://www.cysticfibrosis.org.uk/life-with-cystic-fibrosis/growing-old
Cystic Fibrosis. (2013, April 10). Retrieved from Patient Info : http://patient.info/doctor/cystic-fibrosis-pro
Cystic Fibrosis Statistics. (2014). Retrieved from Cystic Fibrosis News Today : https://cysticfibrosisnewstoday.com/cystic-fibrosis-statistics/
Ernst, M. M., Mark C. Johnson, M., & Stark, L. J. (2010). Developmental and psychosocial issues in CF. Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 263–viii.
George, C., & Hazle, L. (2014). Cystic Fibrosis: Nurses act as a healthcare provider, advocate and educator for CF patients. Adcanced Health Care Network .
Hull, S. C., & Kass, N. E. (2016). Adults with Cystic Fibrosis and (In)fertility: How Has the Health Care System Responded? Journal of Andrology, 809-813.
