WHY DO CYSTIC FIBROSIS PATIENTS IN OTHER COUNTRIES NEED OUR HELP?
PARAGRAPH BY MARK
WHAT IS A CF VEST?
AND WHAT IS IT FOR?
High-frequency chest wall oscillation involves an inflatable vest that is attached to a machine. The machine mechanically performs chest physical therapy by vibrating at a high frequency. The vest vibrates the chest to loosen and thin mucus. Every five minutes, the person stops the machine and coughs or huffs.
The machine is made up of two pieces, an air-pulse generator and an inflatable vest that is connected to the generator by hoses. The generator sends air through the hoses, which causes the vest to inflate and deflate rapidly, as much as 20 times per second. This rapid inflation and deflation creates pressure on the chest similar to clapping. The vibrations not only separate mucus from the airway walls, they also help move it up into the large airways. Typically, a person uses the vest for five minutes and then coughs or huff coughs to clear the mucus. Sessions last about 20 to 30 minutes. Written by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
WAIT, WHAT IS CF (CYSTIC FIBROSIS)?
More than 30,000 children and adults in the United States have CF (70,000 worldwide) and CF affects people of every racial and ethnic group.
In people with CF, mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene cause the CFTR protein to become dysfunctional. When the protein is not working correctly, it’s unable to help move chloride -- a component of salt -- to the cellsurface. Without the chloride to attract water to the cell surface, the mucus in various organs becomes thick and sticky.
In the lungs, the mucus clogs the airways and traps germs, like bacteria, leading to infections, inflammation, respiratory failure, and other complications. For this reason, avoiding germs is a top concern for people with CF. Written by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.