title: Care of the adult patients with cystic fibrosis.
abstract: Although no therapeutic breakthrough has taken place, the life expectancy of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) has dramatically increased in the last 20 yrs. Nowadays, more than 80% of the patients outlive 18 yrs of age, with a mean survival age approaching 28 yrs. These favourable results are due mainly to early diagnosis and continuous treatment in specialized centres. The main therapeutic items are: prevention and early treatment of lung infections, mainly due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa, drainage of bronchial secretions (postural drainage, forced expiratory techniques, positive-expiratory-pressure mask, autogenic drainage,...), substitutive therapy with pancreatic enzymes and hypercaloric diet. Thus cystic fibrosis is increasingly a disease which involves adults, with many related problems, which span from the difficulties of prescribing an effective antibiotic therapy in cases with multiple resistances, to combining the need for a long daily physiotherapy schedule with school or a working life. Sexual problems and related psychological troubles are an important issue in the management of cystic fibrosis in adult patients, and are accordingly treated.
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Rehabilitation Unit, S. Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, Orbassano, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Perino
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trevisan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Falchetti
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gaia
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petrarulo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans