Question
How does mucus clearance differ between healthy lungs and those affected by Cystic Fibrosis?
Answer
As this course is geared towards respiratory therapists, the respiratory system is one of the leading systems affected by CF. Mucus is essential in the lungs, where it traps germs and pollutants that we inhale. Cilia, tiny hairs on the outside of cells, propel mucus out of the lungs and into the throat, where it can be swallowed or coughed out.
However, in a Cystic Fibrosis lung, the mucus is thick and sticky. And therefore, it is very hard for cilia to sweep up the germs and particles from the lungs. As a result, the mucus clogs the airways making it difficult to breathe. Because the mucus in people with CF is also abnormal in other ways, it is less effective at killing germs than the mucus in healthy individuals, thus creating a fertile breeding ground for lung infections, inflammation, and damage. Other symptoms of CF in the respiratory system include hemoptysis, pneumothorax, clubbing of digits, hypoxia, mucus plugging, and bronchiectasis.
This Ask the Expert is an edited excerpt from the course, Cystic Fibrosis: A Comprehensive Overview, presented by Prigi Varghese, MSN, APRN, CPNP-PC.
