A thin film of liquid that lines the airways
A synthetic male sex hormone that promotes weight gain
Infection by the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. It is one of the most common Aspergillus species to cause disease in individuals with an immunodeficiency. It is typically found in soil and decaying organic matter, such as compost heaps
An antibiotic which benefits patients with chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa
A community of microorganisms attached to a sold surface
A procedure to allow your doctor to look at your airways with a thin viewing instrument
Bacteria found in soil and other items such as decaying onions. Infection can cause serious illness in people with CF
Abnormal weight loss and weakness associated with a serious illness
Fibrous change in the liver in response to things like infection or obstruction of bile flow
A compressor is the electric pump used to change liquid medicine into a fine mist for inhaled delivery of medicine. The nebuliser is the mouthpiece or mask that is used to breathe in the medicine.
Something you are born with
The transmission of bacteria and infections from one person to another
Pancreatic enzyme taken with food to help absorb nutrients and vitamins.
A gene that codes for a protein that conducts chloride across the membrane of airway cells. Defaults of the CFTR gene affecting chloride ion channel function lead to problems with fluid transport in the lung, pancreas and other organs, resulting in cystic fibrosis
Diabetes specifically caused by cystic fibrosis. CFRD develops with age
The heart of the CF recipient of a heart-lung transplant is donated to another patient who requires heart transplant
The first part of the upper small bowel where the pancreatic and bile ducts enter
A protein that speeds up biological reactions
An increase in severity of a condition – often used to describe a drop in the health of the lungs
This is the most common cystic fibrosis gene. There are over 2000 different genes related to cystic fibrosis
A piece of DNA that contains all the necessary information to manufacture a protein
The total genetic material of an organism and person
The genetic makeup of an individual
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory used to suppress inflammation in the lungs
The lower part of the small intestine.
Decreased resistance to infection due to having lower immunity to infections
Insertion of a tube into the airways
Obtaining tiny pieces of the lining of the upper bowel to examine with a microscope
Surgical cut into the abdominal cavity
A surgical operation in which a patient's unhealthy lungs are replaced by lungs which come from a donor
Failure to absorb nutrients, usually referred to with the bowel
Intestinal obstruction in newborns with CF
A disease carried by wild rodents transmissible to people and can cause fatal blood poisoning, pneumonia and abscesses. It is a risk in some tropical climates
A hospital-based therapy which combines three treatments in one – volume expansion, secretion clearance and nebuliser therapy.
A substance or technique that thins mucus
Slimy substances secreted by mucous membranes
Bacteria of the same group that causes tuberculosis.
Electrical potential across the lining of the nose or airways and affects people with CF
A nebuliser is the mouthpiece or mask that is used alongside a compressor machine to inhale treatment. The compressor changes liquid medicine into a fine mist, which is then breathed in through the nebuliser.
A point mutation in a sequence of DNA that results in a premature stop codon. Responsible for about 10 percent of cystic fibrosis cases worldwide
An infection that causes lung disease that resembles tuberculosis
Excessive accumulation of fluid in the body
A doctor who specialises in medical treatment of children
A gland that lies behind the stomach and secretes digestive enzymes into the upper bowel and insulin into the blood
A person with enough pancreatic function to absorb fat normally
A microscopic organism that causes disease
A peripherally inserted central catheter (PIC line) is a form of intravenous access that can be used for a prolonged period of time e.g. extended antibiotic therapy.
A growth protruding from a mucous membrane – such as the lining of nose or bowel.
Is a small medical appliance that is inserted beneath the skin. It is attached to a catheter used to give intravenous fluids
Also known Pre-Natal Diagnosis (PND), this enables two cystic fibrosis carriers to have a child that does not have cystic fibrosis. IVF is used to conceive a baby and then the embryos screened for cystic fibrosis before implantation
A major cause of chronic chest infection in CF
A medical doctor who specialises in lung and breathing disorders
A medical doctor who specialises in lung and breathing disorders
An instrument for measuring the amount of air inhaled and exhaled
A test used to detect and identify bacteria or fungi that infects the lungs or airways
A common germ that infects the airways of people with CF
An opening into a hollow organ
Antibiotic prescribed to treat Pseudomonas
Main wind pipe
Pancreatic enzyme that digests protein
A strain of bacteria or bug that is only found in that patient – often applied to Pseudomonas