Test Results

Brett tolerated Friday's procedures fine as expected. The good news about the bronchoscopy is that there were not an impressive amount of secretions blocking the airways. The bad news is that the airways are extremely inflamed. The bronch and the PFTs are good to do on the same day because we get a snapshot of what his lungs looked like and how they performed this one moment in time. Doing them together shows a more complete picture of his condition. Brett's pulmonary function is the worst the doctors have ever seen in an infant. In response to this information, combined with the information gleaned from the CT scan he had earlier this month, we will beginning a 12-15 week course of oral steroids. The hope is that the steroids will help turn down the inflammation in his lungs and help him breathe easier. In many cases, by the time a child is 2 or 3 years old, the airways have grown and are not so tiny anymore. The doctors do not think that this inflammation is necessarily CF related, or if it is, it may be what they call bronchiolitis in CF. Keep in mind that Brett was 2 months premature, and much of the lung maturity in utero happens during those last few weeks. Therefore, not only does he have CF, but he still has premature airways and is more susceptible to any respiratory inflammation or virus. Making it through the winter without either Gantt or Brett contracting RSV was a major victory. We hope the steroid treatment will help Brett greatly.