Cystic Fibrosis Clinic

Today I spent the entire day working with one of the pediatric dietitians in the CF clinic. It was certainly a change of pace relative to the inpatient setting, but I enjoyed the casualness. While we only saw 4 patients, our appointments consumed all of our time. Each patient required very individualized nutrition care regarding varying doses of pancreatic enzymes, nutrition educations (salt, fat, etc.), etc. At times I felt frustrated because it seemed like there was not a "black and white" way of providing nutrition guidelines. There are definitely nutrition guidelines available for treating a CF patient, but even so... each case is unique and those guidelines seem far too general to apply to all patients. After the day, I had a more accurate understanding of the demands of treating CF. The lives of these patients appear to revolve around their disease. Talking with the families and the patients opened my eyes to a lot in the world of CF.

I also had the opportunity to observe a Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) -- a test used to evaluate the function of the lungs based on the ability of the patient to take in and release air. The patient was on continuous oxygen support, and it was evident she was determined to do well on the test. Her test results were great! I loved seeing her eyes light up as she watched her results appear on the screen. Neat to observe.

Loving peds so far! Hope all is well,
Rachael