My Practicum Experience in handling Cystic Fibrosis

My Practicum Experience in handling Cystic Fibrosis

In my practicum I experienced a growth and development issue this was through a young boy of 2 years. He exhibited symptoms of persistent coughs, wheezing and breathing difficulty. The boy was also underweight since his weight was below that of a normal child of 2 years his fingers and toes had clubbed. This symptoms are similar to those in children who have cystic fibrosis. The child was taken through the complete diagnostic evaluation this was after it was realised that at birth, the baby had not been subjected to a new-born screening. This was realised by looking at the child’s medical history in the hospital’s database. The whole diagnostic evaluation included the new-born screening for CF which confirmed our worst fears that the child indeed had CF. The child was then taken through a sweat test so as to offer a conclusive CF diagnosis this test, measured the concentration of salt in the child’s sweat. This was the point of discovery that truly confirmed what the child was ailing from. The family of the child were astonished by the revelations but we had to take them through the process that would enable their child to live quite a normal life the kind of food the child should take and also the process of taking the child through a clinical trial later in life so as to modify the child’s behaviour to enable him lead a normal life. Also they were expected to adopt other multiple health related behaviours.
The Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a life limiting genetic disorder whose primary impact, is respiratory problems, Michelle M. Ernst (2011). It mostly affects Caucasians. It results from aberrations in the gene that encodes the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane conductance Regulator (CFTR) protein thus causing abnormal ion transport throughout the body. In the lungs for example, it leads to a problem with mucous clearance that sets up the stage for chronic lung infection and inflammation. This experience offered a connection between what is learnt in class and what is in the field especially as concerns the process of identifying a disease through the symptoms that a patient exhibits, the process of screening a patient and prescribing the treatment for the child. It also gave an opening to put in use the skills learnt in handling the family so as to control the disease.

REFERENCES
– Developmental and Psychological Issues in Cystic Fibrosis- Michelle M. Ernst, PHD.