Gültürk, Abdülaziz Özel Sivas Anadolu Hospital - Pediatrics Clinic, Turkey , Deveci, Köksal Cumhuriyet University - School of Medicine - Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Turkey , Kaya, Ali Cumhuriyet University - School of Medicine - Department of Pediatrics, Turkey , Güven, Ahmet Sami Cumhuriyet University - School of Medicine - Department of Pediatrics, Turkey , Sancakdar, Enver Cumhuriyet University - School of Medicine - Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Turkey , Cevit, Ömer Cumhuriyet University - School of Medicine - Department of Pediatrics, Turkey

The clinical importance of sweat chloride levels in children with repeated pulmonary infection or growth retardation

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Aim. Cystic fibrosis occurs as a consequence of mutations in the gene regulation of transmembrane message and shows autosomal recessive inheritance. The disease is more frequent among white people; Clinical findings and symptoms in cystic fibrosis can be very different due to the age of patients, type of mutation and complications. In our country, the most common complaints of cystic fibrosis patients in application to hospital are problems in respiratory tract and growth retardation. In this study, we aimed to findhe frequency of cystic fibrosis in children who applied to our clinic with growth retardation and/or recurrent pulmonary infections. Method. This prospective study was conducted between September 2009 and September 2010 in 218 children who applied to our clinic with symptoms of malnutrition and/or recurrent pulmonary infections and had not been diagnosed as cystic fibrosis before. These patients underwent sweat test and their clinical chracteristics were noted. The diagnosis of cystic fibrosis was made by using positive sweat test , appropriate clinical findings and by exclusion of other diseases that also cause recurrent pulmonary infections or malnutrition. Results. The mean age of children was 54.40 ± 48.70 months. Of all children, 100 (45.9%) were male and 118 (54.1%) were female. Positive sweat test was found in 9 (4.2%) children. The frequency of cystic fibrosis was found to be 7.8 % in children with recurrent pulmonary infections and 10.5% in children with weight percentile values 3 p. and 9.3% in children with height percentile values 3 p. Conclusion. Sweat test is clinically important for the early diagnosis of cystic fibrosis and in prevention of complications related to this disease in children with growth retardation or recurrent pulmonary infections.

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Cystic fibrosis , sweat test , pulmonary infection , growth retardation

Cumhuriyet Medical Journal

192