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Diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis
Diagnostic testing for the abnormal genes is now possible for people who are symptomatic with the disease. However, the most reliable test is the Quantitative Pilocarpine Iontophoresis (sweat test). This test is currently the standard diagnostic test for Cystic Fibrosis. This simple, painless test measures the amount of salt in the sweat. A high level (³ 60 in children or ³ 80 adults) indicates that a person has CF. The test involves the stimulation of sweat production over the patient’s forearm. Although the sweat glands of Cystic Fibrosis patients are described as microscopically normal, these glands secret up to four times the normal amount of Sodium Chloride (NaCl). The actual amount of sweat, however, is no greater than that produced by a normal individual.
