INTRODUCTION
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a hereditary disease, transmitted in an
autosomal recessive manner; its prevalence varies by country, according
to ethnic composition. In Mexico, its prevalence is estimated to be
approximately 1: 8,500 to 1: 10,000 in live newborns.1
Survival of those with CF has improved markedly in developed countries,
due to early diagnosis, multidisciplinary care, aggressive nutritional
supplementation, novel inhaled treatments, eradication ofPseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa ), and lung
transplantation. 2
Despite advances, there is a great deal of variability in disease
progression, severity, and survival in different countries and
geographic settings.3, 4 There are several factors
related to survival, such as the cystic fibrosis transmembrane
conductance regulator (CFTR) genotype,5 initial
presentation of the disease,6 nutritional
status,7 sputum bacteriology,8, 9diabetes,10-12 socioeconomic status
(SES),13 pulmonary exacerbations,14gender,15 and follow-up in a specialized
center.15
In England and Wales, children with CF from lower socioeconomic groups
were nearly three times more likely to die at an early age than those of
higher economic status.13 In Latin America,
particularly Mexico, limited information exists on the survival of CF
patients, including factors that impact survival. To address this, the
aim of our study is to assess the median age of CF patient survival in
northeast Mexico over a 20-year period.