Table of Contents Information on Cystic Fibrosis? How Common Is Cystic Fibrosis? Cystic Fibrosis Symptoms Suspecting a Child May Have Cystic Fibrosis Cystic Fibrosis Symptoms & Diagnosis What Makes Cystic Fibrosis a Genetic Disease? Cystic Fibrosis Treatment How the Gene Mutation Causes Cystic Fibrosis Gene Therapy as a Cystic Fibrosis Treatment Detecting Cystic Fibrosis in an Unborn Baby Can Cystic Fibrosis Be Prevented? How Patients and Their Families can Cope Keeping on Top of Your Conditio

Cystic Fibrosis Symptoms & Diagnosis

The sweat test may not work well in newborns because they do not produce enough sweat. In that case, another type of test, such as the immunoreactive trypsinogen test (IRT), may be used. In the IRT test, blood drawn 2 to 3 days after birth is analyzed for a specific protein called trypsinogen. Positive IRT tests must be confirmed by sweat and other tests.

Also, a small percentage of people with cystic fibrosis have normal sweat chloride levels. They can only be diagnosed by chemical tests for the presence of the mutated gene. Some of the other tests that can assist in the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis are chest x-rays, lung function tests, and sputum (phlegm) cultures. Stool examinations can help identify the digestive abnormalities that are typical of CF.