RTs may see fewer CF patients in future

Here's an interesting study done at John Hopkins that shows cystic fibrosis patients recover equally as well from their CF exacerbations whether they are admitted to the hospital for therapy or whether they care for themselves at home.

One of the main reasons CF patients are admitted is to obtain IV therapy, yet many CF patients (or their family members) learn to do this on their own so they don't have to be admitted for their annual "recharge."

The study notes that "Outpatient intravenous antibiotic therapy is becoming increasingly popular because of its advantages over hospitalisation including; fewer absences from school or work, less disruption of family life, decreased costs per treatment course and high patient satisfaction."

Likewise, the study concluded that "The researchers found that periods of worsening symptoms were followed by long-term declines in lung function, regardless of whether antibiotics were administered in the hospital or at home, and the optimal duration of antibiotic therapy was 7–10 days, compared with the current practice of 10–21 days."