A National Hospital Survey of Cystic Fibrosis

Abstract

A substantial number of hospitalized cases of cystic fibrosis with a relatively high fatality rate indicates one aspect of the health problem presented by this disease^first differentiated only some 20 years ago.

Cystic Fibrosis: A Community Challenge

“…Baumann (S) calculated the incidence for the Swiss population as 7.22 new cases per 10,000 births per year. A national hospital survey of cystic fibrosis (10) indicates that 2,525 persons were hospitalized in the United States in 1957 because of cystic fibrosis, and one out of every six or seven died. The annual number of deaths attributed to this disease dur¬ ing the 1952-57 period ranged from 295 in 1952 to 475 in 1955 to 359 in 1957.…”

A Cystic Fibrosis Pilot Survey in Three New England States

“…Clinical manifestations are seen chiefly in the pediatric age group. As a cause of death among children under 15 years, it outranks such conditions as poliomyelitis, rheumatic fever, and diabetes. 1 The condition, first described by Fanconi, et al.,2 in 1936, was brought to recognition as a specific disease entity in 1938 by several investigators,3,4 most notably Andersen.5 At that time, pancreatic insufficiency was considered the basic defect and was responsible for the name given to the disease.5'6 This is a misleading term, however, for it is a pathological condition now known to involve many other organs, particularly the lungs, paranasal sinuses, sweat glands, liver and rectum.…”