Are annual blood tests in preschool cystic fibrosis patients worthwhile?

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Archives of Disease in Childhood 2002;87:518-520

© 2002 Archives of Disease in Childhood

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Are annual blood tests in preschool cystic fibrosis patients worthwhile?

A Jaffé1, R Buchdahl1, A Bush1 and I M Balfour-Lynn1 1 Department of

Paediatric Respiratory Medicine, Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust,

Sydney Street, London SW3 6NP, UK

Correspondence to:

Dr A Jaffé, Consultant and Honorary Senior Lecturer in Respiratory

Research, Portex Respiratory Department, Great Ormond Street Hospital for

Children, Great Ormond Street, London WC1N 3JH, UK; a.jaffe@...

Aim: To investigate whether routine annual assessment blood tests in

cystic fibrosis (CF) patients under 5 years influence management.

Methods: Retrospective review of the results of the first annual

assessment blood tests of patients with CF less than 5 years of age

during a four year period (1995-99). Management changes were identified

from a follow up letter to the general practitioner or local

paediatrician.

Results: A total of 169 patients (100 female), median age 2.2 years

(range 0.3-4.9) were identified. Venepuncture was successful in 93% of

patients. Of the 32 individual blood parameters measured, the overall

success rate in obtaining a result was 81%. Eleven per cent of patients

underwent subsequent management changes, including liver ultrasound,

fasting glucose, and a short course of iron. Of particular importance,

vitamin A and E concentrations were low in 9% of patients, which prompted

an increase in prescribed dose.

Conclusions: These results support the recommendations for routine blood

tests at annual review in preschool CF children. The results may help to

rationalise which tests are performed and thus reduce laboratory costs.