Write a 6 pages paper on treatment of pancreatic insufficiency due to cystic fibrosis.

Write a 6 pages paper on treatment of pancreatic insufficiency due to cystic fibrosis. The pancreas is definitely affected by CF. Aside from the proper breakdown of insulin, the pancreas is responsible for the production of digestive enzymes that help break down ingested food. An inability to do this is known as exocrine pancreatic inefficiency, which is another serious condition brought about by CF. EPI is also characterized by an “impaired digestion and decreased absorption of nutrients,” both of which leading to poor nutritional status among those with CF. There are also other symptoms of EPI that include pain, bloating, flatus, steatorrhea, and malabsorption. Although EPI is common in dogs, it occasionally occurs in humans through CF and Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome. For those with EPI due to CF, studies have shown that the best solution is pancreatic enzyme products, or PEP. The pancreatic enzyme product, or PEP, known as EUR-1008, or Zenpep pancrelipase, has been proven to be an effective treatment against EPI in patients with CF (Wooldridge et al., 2009). EUR-1008 is in the form of “enteric-coated microspheres of porcine enzyme concentrate” occurring in capsule form that can be orally administered, and available in 5000, 10000, 15000 or 20000 units. Treatment using EUR-1008 was administered to confirmed CF patients who were diagnosed with EPI and who were both less than and more than 7 years of age. The diet of the patients was also controlled and was required to maintain a minimum of 100g of fat. The experimental study yielded positive results in terms of the positive changes in the coefficient of fat absorption, or CFA, in the coefficient of nitrogen absorption, or CNA, and in the alleviation of the signs and symptoms of malabsorption of food. The data for CFA and CAN were measured using a 72-hour stool sample. The significantly higher mean for both CFA and CAN compared to placebo trials proved the effectiveness of EUR-1008 in the treatment of EPI caused by CF. There were also noteworthy physiological changes in the patients that included improvements in the vital signs, weight, BMI, and QOL assessments which proved better than before the administration of EUR-1008. Moreover, EUR-1008 had no known adverse effects reported during the study and was also well-tolerated and safe. The best thing about it is that it proved to be efficient in patients of all ages (Wooldridge et al., 2009). As EPI was positively dealt with by EUR-1008 in patients of all ages, it can also be treated using pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy, or PERT, in children with CF and aged 7 to 11 years old (Graff et al., 2010). PERT consisted of the administration of “pancrelipase delayed-release 12,000-lipase unit capsules” to the children (Graff et al., 2010). Since the study was conducted across 10 health centers in the United States, there was a strict daily monitoring of the symptoms and dietary intake by properly trained staff. Among the 16 patients who completed the experimental study, all had improved CFA and CNA values compared with placebo trials. CFA for the PERT capsules had values of 82.8% while placebo had only 47.4%. CNA for PERT capsules were recorded at 80.3% compared to placebo values at 45.0%, thus obviously proving that PERT was indeed effective in the treatment of EPI in children with CF.