Opening in New Orleans of a study-center for patients with cystic fibrosis was announced here Wednesday by Robert Eckstein.
The center, to be housed in the Tulane university medical school, will be initiated by a $6522 grant from the National Cystic Fibrosis Research Foundation.
Eckstein, who is chairman of the New Orleans chapter of the Foundation, presented a check for this amount Wednesday to Dr. W» W. Waring, who has been named director of the center. The original grant will be used to operate the center until March 1, 1963. After that the grant may be renewed yearly for an indefinite number of years.
FOR INDIGENT
The center will be operated mainly for indigent patients at Charity hospital, although its services will also be available to private practitioners for consultation. It will be a co-operative venture of Charity and of Tulane and Louisiana State university ^jnedical
schools. Dr. Bettina Hilrnan instructor in pediatrics at LSU, will be assistant director.
Dr. Waring, who is associate professor of pediatrics at Tulane, said cystic fibrosis is a disease; producing obstructions in the lungs and pancreas. He said babies are born with it; that it is an inherited disease although parents may show no signs of it.
"The disease" he added, "is frequently fatal. Young patients usually die from pneumonia. The disease shows up usually in the lungs and symptoms include cough and shortness of breath." Dr. Waring said the disease sometimes involved the pancreas; that when this happens the child begins to suffer from malnutrition; that his legs and arms become spindley and his abdomen becomes* distended.
CAUSE UNKNOWN
The center director said the cause of the disease, often mistakenly diagnosed as asthma or chronic bronchitis, is still unknown.
"Since laboratory animals do not contract cystic fibrosis," he added, "our research will be limited to human beings. At the center we will try out different types I of treatment and different types of equipment. We will show the patient how to use a mist-tent machine, which he can bring into his home. This machine will make it possible for him to breathe ir a mist which will help change the secretions in his lungs."
Dr. Waring said the treatmem I for cystic fibrosis is tremendous-I ly expensive what with anti ! biotics and initial purchase of the machine. -He said treatment wil] probably cost about $80 a month.
The center, he added, will make possible a three-pronged attack on cystic fibrosis. In addition to early, diagnosis and intensive home medical treatment, physicians at the c inter will try to uncover as many cases of the disease as possible. Research will be carried on and, students at Tulane and LSU medical schools will be taught all about it. PHOTO: Looking AT CHECK for $6522, a grant from the National Cystic Fibrosis Research Foundation, are (from left) Dr. William Waring and Robert Eckstein, chairman of the New Orleans chapter of the foundation. The grant will go towards the opening of a study-center for patients with cystic fibrosis in New Orleans. Dr. Waring will be director of the center.
