Effect of transfer from a paediatric to adult cystic fibrosis centre on clinical status and hospital attendance.

Transfer from paediatric to adult services could lead to clinical deterioration; few studies have examined this. We sought to examine the clinical impact of a structured individualised transition and transfer process in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF).
Medical records of all patients with CF in Western Australia who transferred from a paediatric centre (Perth Children’s Hospital, Perth, Western Australia) to an adult CF centre (Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia) between 2008 -2012 were reviewed. Data were extracted for two years before and after transfer. The number of CF outpatient visits, inpatient days and home intravenous antibiotic therapy (HIVT) days were recorded at yearly intervals before and after transfer. Sputum culture results at transfer were collected. All respiratory function and anthropometric data over the 4 years were extracted.
Forty-two patients with CF were transferred between 2008-2012. Mean age at transfer was 18.9 years (range 17-22). Compared to one-year pre-transfer, the frequency of outpatient visits at one and two years post-transfer increased. After transfer, there was no change in BMI, HIVT days or inpatient days, and no acceleration in the expected decline in FEV1.
This study found that transfer from a paediatric to an adult CF centre using a structured, individualised transition and transfer process was not associated with accelerated clinical deterioration. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.