In the last few years more and more has been said about Cystic Fibrosis (CF), however for years it was a ghost illness that killed children. Most people diagnosed with CF didn’t live past their sixteenth birthday. Today, with a life expectancy of 40 years old, CF is more well known, and better treatments have become available to allow its patients to find a comfortable normal within society. There are portable nebulizers, battery operated vests, and IV meds that can be attached to PICC lines while on the go. As someone who loves a CF’er you have to learn the ins and outs of caregiving. While most CF’ers are independent and fully capable of caring for themselves, sometimes even Batman needs Robin.
Battery operated percussion vests
When you have Cystic Fibrosis, you learn the value of percussion exercises. If you’re not familiar with what that means, here’s a quick summary. Studies have shown that repetitive percussion on key areas of the chest and back assist in loosening up excess mucus produced in the lungs as an effect of Cystic Fibrosis. The automation of these types of vests can save the patient and their family a whole lot of time and effort during routine breathing treatments.
Portable nebulizer machines
A nebulizer machine is what provides CF patients with their daily breathing treatments. They used compressed air, mixed with albuterol (or whatever the patient is prescribed) to assist the CF’er with their breathing. To a Cystic Fibrosis patient, these treatments are more than ordinary. They’re boring. For children with CF, try and find a fun design for their nebulizer machine. It might help a little bit with the monotony of repetitive breathing treatments.
Portable oxygen concentrators
Portable oxygen concentrators are really the next step up from having a portable nebulizer machine. These machines serve basically the same purpose, except the oxygen concentrator does just that. It pumps concentrated oxygen to the patient, instead of simple concentration of air. Concentrated O2 saturates the lungs in pure oxygen, while concentrated air just pulls from the air in around you (which may contain hundreds of different types of molecules, depending on where you are).
Software assistance options
As a caregiver to a patient or family member suffering from Cystic Fibrosis, you know the value of progressive data. Keeping track of the patient’s lung’s ability to absorb oxygen can be vital to the provision of effective treatment options. There are now several different types of software assistance programs that will digitally keep track of your loved one’s vitals and oxygen absorption. This ability is pertinent to efficient tracking of the disease and its long-term manifestations.
Originally posted on December 1, 2015 @ 9:23 pm