Abstract
Objective: To explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our cystic fibrosis (CF) patients’ health. Method: A retrospective review of data for 20 paediatric CF patients between 01/03/2020 to 30/11/2020 compared with 01/03/2019 to 30/11/2019. This included: • Days requiring intravenous antibiotics (IVAB) • Course of oral antibiotics (abx) • Routine vs acute IVAB • Chest x-ray (CXR) Northern score • Lung function tests (LFT) • Body mass index (BMI) • COVID-19 antibody test • Acute presentations Results: Oral abx courses for exacerbations or positive cultures decreased from 29 to 14;total IVAB days decreased from 177 to 107. Patients requiring rescue IVAB was the same (2). Of 19 patients had CXR done, score was unchanged in 8, reduced in 5 and increased in 6. 5 patients (under 6 years) did not complete LFTs, no data for 4 patients due to phone appointments, 10 patients FEV1 remained stable and 1 patient's FEV1 decreased by 8%. 15/20 patients had stable or improved BMI and 3 had decreased BMI. 17 patients had COVID-19 antibody tests. Only 1 tested positive. Number of acute presentations halved to 5 in 2020 compared to 10 in 2019. Conclusion: While our ability to deliver care for CF patients was significantly impacted due to redeployment and service reconfiguration, we succeeded in completing annual review investigations for our 20 patients, which also included COVID-19 antibody testing. Overall, our patients remained in good health as evidenced by decreased acute presentations, reduced need for abx therapy, stable radiology, lung functions and BMI. This could be due to patient shielding, reducing exposure to potential bacteria and viruses, and access to CF care remaining available. The introduction of NuvoAir in 2020 allowed us to remotely monitor LFTs and weight and respond to changes promptly. However, this is relying on patient technique and accuracy of measurements. The forced reconfiguration of services does not appear to have had an impact on patient health.
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