[Adherence to treatment in patients with cystic fibrosis].

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the self-reported degree of adherence to treatment in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), investigating associations with characteristics of the disease and with the degree of adherence perceived by health professionals.

METHODS

This was a prospective, cross-sectional study involving patients with CF monitored at a Program for Adults with CF. The degree of adherence was evaluated using a questionnaire. Patients were divided into two groups: greater degree of adherence and moderate/poor degree of adherence. Clinical data, Shwachman-Kulczycki clinical score, Brasfield radiographic score and spirometry data were obtained for all patients.

RESULTS

Out of 38 patients studied, 31 (81.6%) were classified as presenting a greater degree of adherence and 7 (18.4%) as presenting a moderate/poor degree of adherence. The self-reported patient adherence score correlated with the clinical score (r = -0.36, p = 0.028). The self-reported patient adherence score (median = 0.79) was higher than that perceived by health professionals (median = 0.71, p = 0.003). A greater degree of adherence was self-reported for respiratory therapy (by 84.2%), exercise (by 21.1%), prescribed diet (by 65.8%), pancreatic enzymes (by 96.3%), vitamins (by 79.4%), inhaled antibiotic therapy (by 76.7%) and inhaled DNase (by 79.4%).

CONCLUSIONS

Self-reported adherence of patients attending a Program for Adults with CF was good. The self-reported patient adherence score correlated inversely with the clinical score. Self-reported patient adherence was greater than the adherence perceived by health professionals.