Impact of CF Summer Camp

Abstract

In two consecutive years, patients with cystic fibrosis were studied at the beginning and end of a nine-day summer camp program to assess the program's effects on weight gain and pulmonary function. The camp experience includes daily exercise and a high-protein and high-fat diet. There were a total of 58 children between 6 and 12 years of age (42 different patients) and 10 adult counselors from 19 to 30 years of age (eight different patients). On the first and eighth days patients were weighed, sputum cultures were collected, and spirometry was performed. In year 2, peak expiratory flow rate was monitored daily. Also in year 2, campers and counselors with CF were prescreened by sputum culture and excluded from camp if they had Pseudomonas cepacia in their sputum. Only one candidate screened was positive before camp. In year 1, no significant group changes in pulmonary function were identified. In year 2, significant increases on post-camp testing were found for FEF 25%-75% and PEF. Mean body weight for all patients increased significantly, by 0.4 kg in year 1 and 0.9 kg in year 2 (p <. 05) . In year 1, a total of nine patients acquired a new organism in their follow-up sputum culture, including five who acquired a new Pseudomonas species. There was no intra-cabin pattern of spread. Four patients were positive for P. cepacia on day 1 culture. No new subjects acquired this organism on follow-up examination. In year 2, only one subject had P. cepacia on the first camp collection; he alone was positive on day 9. Physiological effects on body weight and pulmonary function varied on an individual basis, revealing significant group benefits in body weight and, in year 2, a reduction of pulmonary obstruction. P. cepacia was not transmitted in this setting, with or without prescreening.