Menacing Mucus

Menacing Mucus

MENACING MUCUS 9 /3 /08

Introduction

I have elicited a few facts of the fatal genetic dis of Cystic Fibrosis in my essay . The plight of a patient with his repeated episodes of respiratory distress and the therapies which help him are discussed to show the seriousness of this affliction . I have tried to assess whether a full-fledged all-out screening of citizens needs to be done and what good it could do . There are two views . I have tried to place the arguments on . Recent advances in the

management of this fatal illness raises the hope that one day we may be able to improve the life and life span of patients with cystic fibrosis

Cystic Fibrosis

Is it necessary to conduct a screening of all people to know how many are carriers of cystic fibrosis ? This issue must be assessed considering the many factors related to it . Is it so common How seriously does it affect a person ? What is the pathology behind it ? What aim would be served by the screening ? Would it be better to leave it to the course of nature

Cystic fibrosis happens to be one of the most fatal of all genetic illnesses in Caucasians . It is a chronic progressive illness occurring once in 3600 live births . Genetically it is a heterogeneous autosomal recessive dis affecting the mucus glands of the lungs , the digestive system , sweat glands and the reproductive system (Knowles and Durie , 2002 ) Mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene causes the pathology . F508del is a recognized mutation (Genetic basis of cystic fibrosis reviewed , NewsRx . That this disease is genetic and recessive in nature does speak for the relevance of a screening . There is no other way of determining carriers in whom the illness is not expressed

The prominent symptoms are mucoviscidosis or thick tenacious sputum and low- grade but persistent chronic respiratory infection with Pseudomonas or Staphylococcus Aureus organisms . Gasping for air due to the clogged airways and fatal respiratory failure indicate the severity . Frequent hospitalizations and continuous , advanced drug-based therapy keep the patients alive . The patient 's life span which previously used to end in childhood itself has been extended to adulthood to about 30 years of age with therapeutic advancements . A patient with this life-threatening illness is sick almost all the days of his life . The family would be placing him on their priority list . Their freedom would be curtailed Somebody needs to watch over him frequently . It becomes essentially an illness that should never happen to anyone . Should we not prevent it at all costs ? If massive screening is a method which reveals the carriers and warns them , let us go ahead

We talk of the 'menacing mucus ' as the main feature is thick , sticky mucus that blocks the lungs and causes fatal infections . It could also hinder the pancreas and its natural enzymes from digesting , metabolising and absorbing food (What is Cystic Fibrosis , Cystic Fibrosis foundation

Treatment merely eases the symptom of...