CF centres

Question

Hello, I'm a mother of a 6-month-old son who has had CF confirmed.
Because we are planning to go on holidays this summer, I wanted to know if there are specialized CF centers in Croatia, Austria and Italy. Can we contact them in the event of a worsening of his situation? I have paid for health insurance, but isn't there a card for a patient with all of their records of illness and treatments, so that other doctors can more easily orient themselves?
Thank you,

Answer

Hello.
Despite the fact that this webside is in Czech and answerring CF specialist are from Czech Republic and that we are not one country any more, health care system and politics of health insurance companies are different in our countries, I passed Your question to our Slovak colleagues. As soon as I received any answer, I will publish it on this webside.
Best regards, Jitka Brazova (the project coordinator for Czech Republic)

Hello, The reason for the delayed response to your question is the fact that it was discussed in the European Forum of CF Specialists during an ECORN-CF meeting.
Unfortunately, there is currently no list of European CF centers, even though CF Europe is intensively working on the problem. For this reason, I cannot specifically recommend any CF centers, because I cannot guarantee that a level of quality can be provided that is equal or better than what you are used to.
Information on some CF centers, including patient organizations in Europe, including the countries you are planning to visit, can be found on the CF Worldwide website: www.cfww.org/member_country/.

General information on travelling with CF can be found in the archive of this forum, or at this address: .
I would advise you to consult with your doctor as to whether a trip to the sea is advisable for a one-year-old. It is important to think about an increased drinking schedule, considering the risks of the child becoming dehydrated, and also about the increased need to get enough salt in warm environments.
For travelling with CF, it is very important not to underestimate health insurance and to always have information with you on the type of illness and a list of medicines used. This should at least be in English, but it would be best to have it in the language of the country you are visiting. You can get information at your insurer about which expenses will be reimbursed and under which conditions, and I would certainly recommend supplemental insurance.
Best regards, Jitka Brazova

22.01.2009