Cystic Fibrosis Services
Children diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF) have a bright future ahead of them. Newborn screening identifies children with CF before symptoms occur, providing opportunities to implement good nutritional and pulmonary care right from the start. Mount Sinai Health System has the New York State Department of Health CF Newborn Screening Treatment and Referral Center for Lower Manhattan, Staten Island, and Brooklyn. Our Center provides diagnostic and genetic counseling services for infants with a positive CF newborn screening result, and state of the art multidisciplinary care to others who are diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.
Cystic fibrosis brings many new health challenges to the adult patient and more than 50 percent of the patients at the CF Center are over the age of 18. To meet the needs of the CF adult population, Mount Sinai has a large pulmonary department that offers state of the art diagnostics and comprehensive follow-up with a dedicated adult inpatient unit where trained personnel care for you if you need to be hospitalized for treatment.
Airway clearance remains the most significant aspect of CF care. The chest physical therapy (CPT) program now at Mount Sinai Beth Israel is among the most highly regarded in the country. Our skilled physical therapist teaches patients, parents, family members, and other caregivers to become proficient in the CPT techniques.
Exercise is encouraged. The Center’s exercise program coordinator tailors a program to each patient’s needs, lifestyle, and ability.
Good nutrition is another essential component of CF care. People with CF often need to maintain a good balance of nutrition by making modifications to improve caloric intake. The CF Center staff carefully monitors each patient’s nutritional status. Consultations with the nutritionist and/or a gastroenterologist enable patients to maintain their weight in a way that is compatible with their dietary needs.
Diagnosis
We provide sweat testing by quantitative pilocarpine iontophoresis, which remains the gold standard for CF diagnosis. Sweat tests are performed in the office on Monday and Wednesday mornings. Pulmonary function tests are performed on-site.
Support Services
Social work, nutrition, physical therapy, exercise, and genetic counseling are available to all patients upon request. These services may be arranged in conjunction with an office visit or at another convenient time.