A lung transplant can be lifesaving for children with cystic fibrosis (CF) admitted for respiratory failure to a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Only 35% of these young patients went on to be discharged without a transplant, according to an analysis of children with CF treated at a French…

Elevated levels of fecal calprotectin, measured over 1.5 years, significantly associated with poorer lung function in children with cystic fibrosis (CF), a European study reports. Levels of this protein, a biomarker of intestinal inflammation, also correlated with diarrhea in the young patients. Findings suggest that fecal calprotectin could originate…

Mental health issues — namely, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) — in children with cystic fibrosis (CF) may be associated with a poorer adherence to treatments, more hospitalizations, and higher use of antibiotics, according to a recent report. “These initial findings suggest that mental health screening…

More than half of children and teens with cystic fibrosis (CF) who do not show breathing difficulties during physical exercise were found to have reduced cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), a measure of oxygen supply to the muscles, according to a single-center study in the Netherlands. Notably, glucose intolerance and…

Nathan Perdue, the father of a 2-year-old boy with cystic fibrosis (CF), in collaboration with the Kentucky Derby Museum, is raffling off his limited-edition collection of bourbons to support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) and its efforts to cure this disease within his son’s lifetime. The collection includes…

The frequency of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections in children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis (CF) in the U.K. remained stable from 2016 to 2018, but substantially higher than at the start of the decade, according to a recent study. Data also showed that allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA)…

Long-term use of inhaled antibiotics, given to treat lung infections caused by the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa  in people with cystic fibrosis (CF), can for young children raise the risk of a new infection by Aspergillus fungi, a study suggests. The study, “Pseudomonas…

The incidence rate of cystic fibrosis-related diabetes (CFRD) in children with cystic fibrosis (CF) has remained stable over time, according to a Canadian multi-center registry study. According to the researchers, these findings contrast with increasing incidence rates observed for type 1 and type 2 diabetes in the general…

A new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique, called ultrashort echo-time (UTE), can efficiently detect abnormalities in the structure and function of the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), a study reports. This finding suggests that UTE-MRI can be an alternative to current ways of diagnosing CF, which expose patients to radiation. The…