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Are annual blood tests in preschool cystic fibrosis patients worthwhile?

A Jaffé1, R Buchdahl, A Bush

  • 1Department of Paediatric Respiratory Medicine, Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust, Sydney Street, London SW3 6NP, UK. a.jaffe@ich.ucl.ac.uk

Archives of Disease in Childhood
|November 29, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Routine annual blood tests in preschool children with cystic fibrosis (CF) influence management, leading to treatment adjustments like increased vitamin doses. These assessments are valuable for optimizing care in young CF patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Clinical Biochemistry
  • Medical Management

Background:

  • Cystic Fibrosis (CF) requires ongoing monitoring.
  • Early intervention in CF can improve outcomes.
  • The utility of routine blood tests in preschool CF patients is not fully established.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if routine annual blood tests impact the management of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients under five years of age.
  • To assess the clinical significance of results from these early blood assessments.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of annual assessment blood test results for CF patients under five.
  • Analysis of management changes following blood test results over a four-year period.
  • Data collection included patient demographics and specific blood parameter outcomes.

Main Results:

  • 169 preschool CF patients were analyzed; venipuncture was successful in 93%.
  • Eleven percent of patients experienced management changes, including liver ultrasound and iron supplementation.
  • Low vitamin A and E levels were identified in 9% of patients, prompting dose adjustments.

Conclusions:

  • Routine blood tests at annual reviews are supported for preschool CF children.
  • Findings can help rationalize test selection, potentially reducing laboratory costs.
  • Annual blood assessments are crucial for guiding therapeutic decisions in young CF patients.
Abstract

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