Cystic Fibrosis Canada shares newest Standards of Care Guidelines for Pulmonary Exacerbations
Toronto, ON (May 29, 2023) – Cystic Fibrosis Canada’s Healthcare Advisory Council (HAC) has published standardized Canadian care guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary exacerbations in patients with cystic fibrosis. The guidelines were developed to help diagnose and treat pulmonary exacerbations in the average patient with cystic fibrosis (CF) and are intended for use by non-CF specialists including emergency department physicians, pediatricians and general practitioners, among others, to ensure that Canadians with CF across the country receive the highest level of care.
The guidelines are an initiative of Cystic Fibrosis Canada’s Healthcare Advisory Council (HAC) and were developed by Dr. Patrick Daigneault and Dr. Annick Lavoie. Canadians with CF are encouraged to bring a copy of these guidelines with them to healthcare visits outside of the CF clinic.
“We are pleased to publish the latest in our series of guidelines and standards of care,” said Jana Kocourek, Director of Healthcare at Cystic Fibrosis Canada. “Pulmonary exacerbations occur frequently in cystic fibrosis patients and these guidelines will help to ensure our community receives standardized care when they are outside of their specialized CF-clinic.”
Pulmonary exacerbations are a common complication in those with cystic fibrosis and can generally be defined as a significant and sustained change from baseline in respiratory symptoms, pulmonary function or chest radiograph. It can include an increase in the amount, thickness or change in coloration of sputum, increased cough, increased dyspnea, lower oxygen saturation, fever, reduction in lung function and/or new infiltrates on a chest x-ray.
Cystic Fibrosis Canada’s HAC has also led the development of the Aerosolized Antibiotic Use in Cystic Fibrosis, Antibiotic Dosing Guideline for Cystic Fibrosis and most notably the Guideline for CFTR Modulator Therapies for Patients with Cystic Fibrosis, which helped to facilitate the rollout of Trikafta in our community. Our HAC will continue to develop guidelines for other topics related to CF care.
View the guidelines for standardized Canadian care guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary exacerbations here.
