Developed by:
ASSOBRAFIR - Brazilian Association of Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapy and Physiotherapy in Intensive Care
GBEFC - Brazilian Cystic Fibrosis Study Group
FOREWORD
In recent years, the diagnostic methods and management approaches for cystic fibrosis have evolved significantly in Brazil and worldwide. After the Brazilian Cystic Fibrosis Study Group (GBEFC) was founded in 2003, much was added to the management of this disease.
Patient survival and quality of life significantly improved with the implementation of the Brazilian Cystic Fibrosis Registry and neonatal screening providing early diagnosis, the donation of chloridometers to several Brazilian centers, and the creation of work units by our group.
In 2017, the Brazilian guidelines for cystic fibrosis were published and now guide medical practices in our country. The aim was to provide all 46 Brazilian cystic fibrosis care centers registered with the GBEFC with updated information that is consistent with the Brazilian reality.
The possibility of making genotyping assay available for most registered patients also meant the possibility of effective treatment in the genesis of the disease and, in many cases, the possibility of significant advances in disease control.
However, new technologies and effective drug treatments, often expensive, are of little use if the bases of treatment are not given appropriate attention, as nutrition and physical therapy are crucial to the outcomes.
Respiratory physiotherapy will always be a robust pillar in cystic fibrosis management, and nothing will be able to replace it, under penalty of progressive loss of lung function and disease control.
Thus, the multidisciplinary unit - physical therapy, with the support of GBEFC and eminent Brazilian physical therapists, developed this excellent guide, now presented to all Brazilian health professionals who are dedicated to caring for patients with cystic fibrosis.
Dr. Norberto Ludwig Neto
President at the Brazilian Cystic Fibrosis Study Group (GBEFC)
Download the full document by clicking here.