Cystic Fibrosis Case Study Essay

Introduction This case study focuses on 18 year old John who has cystic fibrosis (CF). He is the fourth child in a family of eight. The pregnancy and birth were routine and there was nothing to suggest that John had any illness but her hospitalised at 2 months and consequently received a diagnosis of CF. He returned home four weeks later with a treatment plan of physiotherapy, medication and nebulizers, which has continued all his life. Depending on his condition John may need physiotherapy and nebulizers at least twice or up to four times a day. He attended school when he was younger but as he grew he needed home tuition. He used to enjoy playing football but as his condition progressed he could no longer participate. As a teenager John …show more content…
It is very common in our society with 1200 of the 70,000 affected worldwide living in Ireland (Cystic Fibrosis Ireland, 2014). CF causes the body to produce thick sticky mucus that blocks the lungs and causes lung infections. CF also stops the body for producing pancreatic enzymes which are necessary for breaking down and absorbing food. There are various symptoms of CF including, salty skin, persistent coughing often with phlegm, lung infections, shortness of breath, poor growth and weight gain and heavy stools or difficulty with bowel movements (Cystic Fibrosis Ireland, 2014). CF is caused by a gene that is passed from parent to child. A person may carry the CF gene but not develop the condition, this is because the gene must be present in both parents for the child to develop CF. When both parents carry the CF gene there is a 25% chance of the child developing CF. There is also a 50% chance of the child carrying the gene (Cystic Fibrosis Trust UK, 2014). Although everyone who has CF is born with it, they may not be diagnosed until later in life. Since 2011 in the Republic of Ireland, CF has been included in the new-born blood spot screen test, which is more commonly known as the heel prick test (Cystic Fibrosis Ireland, 2014). Ireland has several specialist centres for CF, with each having a multidisciplinary team, including a consultant, CF nurse, dietitian and …show more content…
Typically these needs are met by family and friends but for John this will include his healthcare workers. Transitioning from paediatric to adult health care services is a big change for those who grow up with CF. John may have moved teams within the same hospital or moved to a new team in a different hospital. There is no set transition process in Ireland so the process will vary from one hospital to another. The case study describes John as having spent an extensive amount of his teenage years in hospital and seeing the hospital staff more than his own brothers and sisters. As a result John will have become very attached to his healthcare team and may have viewed them as “an extension of the family” as some young people with CF have described it (Sugrue, 2014, p. 2). The process of transitioning could be a very difficult time for the young person, as they may experience feelings of loss and fear. It is important that transitioning is made as smooth as possible for the young person as a negative experience can result in reduced attendance at clinics and consequently, poorer health for the individual (Sugrue, 2014). Bowlby was the pioneering psychologist in the study of attachment theory. This is the process in which mothers and children bond and how this relationship affects the child’s psychological development (Keenan & Evans, 2009). Bowbly believed that child who isn’t attached to