Cystic fibrosis presenting with persistent pneumonia --a case study of a 3-month-old adopted baby.

Abstract

The diagnostic criteria for cystic fibrosis require the presence of 1 or more typical clinical features, a family history of cystic fibrosis, or a positive newborn screening test, plus laboratory evidence of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator dysfunction. However the present case was an adopted baby with persistent pneumonia since birth, his health had been deteriorating rapidly. He was becoming very listless, malnourished, and the whole family had lost all hope of the baby's survival. Diagnosis early and effective management resulted in the baby being discharged after 15 days of hospitalisation with an improvement in clinical condition and increase in weight of the baby. We would like to stress on the fact that children who present with recurrent wheezing in combination with failure to thrive must be iInvestigated for cystic fibrosis in the initial workup.