Cystic fibrosis in Jordan: a pilot study.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) was diagnosed in 12 children from a total of 15,314 children admitted to the Paediatric Department at Jordan University Hospital (JUH) over the period 1976-1980. A diagnosis of meconium ileus was made in five children. The remaining seven affected children were diagnosed clinically on the basis of recurrent chest problems, failure to thrive, positive family history and a high level of sweat chloride, range 72-115 mEq/l (mean 97.6 mEq/l). Five children died (41.7%); three of the group with meconium ileus died during the post-operative period and two of the other group died soon after the diagnosis was made. The cause of such a high mortality rate is multifactorial. As CF was only recently recognized in Jordan, it is believed that the prevalence of CF among Jordanian children is underestimated. CF is still a very serious illness that demands early diagnosis and an intensive programme of continuing care. Therefore, further prospective study to evaluate its prevalence and impact on child health in Jordan is urgently needed.