Title
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Early referral to cystic fibrosis specialist centre impacts on respiratory outcome
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Author
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Abstract
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Background Published studies concerning the impact of specialist care on lung disease in cystic fibrosis remain limited and most are either biased due to comparison with historical controls and/or underpowered. Methods In this retrospective multicentric study, data from all CF children fulfilling the following criteria were collected: 1) Age 6¨C< 18 at the end of 2003; 2) diagnosis before 8 y; 3) follow-up in an accredited CF Belgian centre; 4) at least 1 spirometry and respiratory culture available for 2003. Group A included children referred ¡Ý 2 years after the diagnosis. Patients from Group A were then matched with a single early referred patient on the basis of 2 criteria: same centre, as closest age as possible (Group B). Results Data from 217 children were collected (Group A: 67/217). Late referred patients had a lower FEV1 (77.2% ¡À 22.4 vs 86.7% pred. ¡À 19.4, p = 0.01) and a higher prevalence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (38.6 vs 17.5%, p < 0.05). Conclusion In this population of CF children, a delay of 6.1 y (vs 0.1 y) between diagnosis and referral to a specialist clinic resulted in poorer respiratory outcome at age 13. |
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Language
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English
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Source (journal)
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Journal of cystic fibrosis. - Viborg
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Publication
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Viborg
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2009
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ISSN
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1569-1993
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Volume/pages
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8
:1
(2009)
, p. 26-30
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ISI
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000262553800005
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Full text (Publisher's DOI)
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Full text (open access)
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